Opinion May 26, 1976, Forty Years Ago: JP’s new party

The convenor of the steering committee of the proposed party, N.G. Gorey, said that the parties would formally endorse the merger in Bombay in June and also decide the name, programme and constitution of the new party.

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By: Express News Service

May 26, 2016 12:35 AM IST First published on: May 26, 2016 at 12:35 AM IST

A look at the front page of The Indian Express, published on May 26, 1976, Forty Years Ago.

Jayaprakash Narayan said he was launching a new political party made up of the Old Congress, the Bharatiya Lok Dal, the Jana Sangh and the Socialist Party as a democratic national alternative. Addressing a news conference in Bombay, he said the new party would have 50 members in the Lok Sabha and 30 in the Rajya Sabha and a few independent members. The convenor of the steering committee of the proposed party, N.G. Gorey, said that the parties would formally endorse the merger in Bombay in June and also decide the name, programme and constitution of the new party. JP said Indian democracy suffered from the multiplicity of parties and the solution lay in reducing their number. The best alternative would be to bring together like-minded parties and, if possible, persuade them to unite and form one party. “I am glad to say that we have met with partial success,” he said.

40th amendment

A bill seeking to amend the constitution with a view to giving constitutional protection to 64 Central and state acts and extending Union government’s jurisdiction to the exclusive economic zone for the exploitation of sea wealth was approved by the Lok Sabha. The house passed the Constitution (40th) Amendment Bill after two opposition amendments were defeated. The amendments tabled by the CPI and CPM sought to exclude the Prevention of Publication of Objectionable Matter Act and the Departmentalisation of Union Accounts (Transfer of Personnel) Act from the list of legislations which are sought to be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution and given constitutional protection.

Sanjay on power

Youth Congress leader Sanjay Gandhi asked party workers to immediately report to ministers if any government official, specially in the poIice, has taken “undue advantage” of the emergency powers.

# Jayaprakash Narayan