CONSTITUTION

Summary

This 1973 Swatantra Party Constitution, amended by the Sixth National Convention at Rajajinagar, Madras, sets out the party’s name, objectives, headquarters, membership rules, subscription requirements, and permitted forms of party work. Membership is open to persons over eighteen who subscribe in writing to the party’s principles, pay the prescribed fee, and are not members of another political party. The document also establishes procedures for suspension, expulsion, appeals, and the distribution of membership subscriptions among primary, district, state or regional, and national units.

The rendered pages specify a multi-level organisational structure extending from Primary Units and District Committees to State or Regional Councils, the General Council, and the National Executive. They regulate representation, office-bearers, quorums, absences, party elections, election tribunals, co-options, national and state conventions, rule-making powers, and constitutional amendments. Appendix A prescribes voting procedures, including proportional representation for several bodies and the single non-transferable vote for executive committees. The pages present the party as a formally structured, internally electoral organisation, but the rendered material does not include the document’s later provisions or any separate statement of political principles beyond the reference to the party’s 1959 preparatory convention.

Key points

• The document is the Swatantra Party Constitution as amended on April 14, 1973, at the Sixth National Convention in Rajajinagar, Madras.
• Its objective is to implement principles adopted at the party’s Preparatory Convention in Bombay on August 1 and 2, 1959.
• Membership requires being over eighteen, subscribing in writing to party principles, paying the prescribed fee, and not belonging to another political party.
• The constitution creates Primary Units, District Committees, State or Regional Councils, a General Council, and a National Executive.
• It establishes rules for subscriptions, representation, office-bearers, quorums, absences, and participation without voting rights.
• Party elections are supplemented by election tribunals, proportional representation, co-option provisions, and detailed voting procedures in Appendix A.
• National and state or regional conventions are required at least once every two years, while constitutional amendments require specified supermajorities and advance notice.