House without opposition leader

Summary

This two-page archival file combines a newspaper clipping from Ahmedabad, dated March 29, with a Swatantra Party administrative list. The clipping reports that the Gujarat Assembly had met without a formally designated opposition leader: opposition members reportedly followed M. R. Pai in choosing him as leader of the Swatantra Legislature Party, while the party’s meeting considered whether a temporary leader should be appointed after the resignation of its previous leader. It also reports the ending of the fast by Gujarat Harijan MLAs seeking an early government examination of the demand to facilitate examination by the Government of their demand for a portrait of the late Dr B. R. Ambedkar in the Gujarat Assembly chamber.

Key points

• A UNI newspaper report describes the Gujarat Assembly as meeting without a formally designated opposition leader.
• Opposition members reportedly selected M. R. Pai as leader of the Swatantra Legislature Party.
• The Swatantra Party meeting considered appointing a temporary leader after the resignation of its previous leader.
• A separate report records that Gujarat Harijan MLAs ended a fast connected with a demand for a portrait of B. R. Ambedkar in the Assembly chamber.
• The second page lists the Swatantra Party’s office bearers and National Executive members for 1967–69.
• Prof. N. G. Ranga is listed as president, with K. M. Munshi, Minoo Masani, Gayatri Devi, R. K. Singh Deo, and Bhailubhai Patel among the vice presidents.
• The list records N. Dandekar as general secretary and identifies R. C. Cooper and H. P. Manda as treasurers.