HT This Day: February 18, 1968 -- Charan Singh quits as Uttar Pradesh CM

In a statement, Charan Singh said he had suggested mid-term poll because the Congress Party had already gone out of power following its failure to command the confidence of the Assembly

Lucknow: Governor B. Gopala Reddy today accepted the resignation of Mr Charan Singh from the Chief Ministership of the U.P. Government.

HT This Day: February 18, 1968 -- Charan Singh quits as Uttar Pradesh CM (HT Photo)

A notification issued by the Raj Bhavan said that the Governor “regretfully accepted the resignation and requested him to continue in office till other arrangements” were made.

Mr Charan Singh submitted his resignation after the meeting of the executive committee of his party, Bharatiya Kranti Dal, this morning.

The Governor declined to say anything on the possibilities of calling others for the formation of a new Government, and said: “Let us see how things develop.”

The Governor, meanwhile, cancelled the session of the State legislature scheduled to begin on Feb. 19, according to a notification issued from Raj Bhavan.

In his letter of resignation, Mr Charan Singh advised the Governor to dissolve the Assembly and hold mid-term poll in case he did not consider it advisable to send for a new leader of the SVD to form the Government or if the SVD itself found it difficult to choose one.

In a statement, he said he had suggested mid-term poll because the Congress Party had already gone out of power following its failure to command the confidence of the Assembly.

Under the circumstances, the outgoing Chief Minister thought that mid-term poll was the only way to ascertain the wishes of the people in regard to political party or parties which they would like to run a stable Government for them.

A general body meeting of the SVD will be held on Monday to elect a new leader.

Vital questions

Mr Charan Singh in a statement said: “I have submitted my resignation to the Governor today. More than a fortnight ago, I had raised certain questions which, according to my light, are vital to efficient functioning of any government, particularly a democratic government.”

“There is little likelihood that a satisfactory answer to these questions will be forthcoming. On the contrary, developments that have taken place since then, have further confirmed me in my belief. While the constituent units of the SVD are making preparations for, or have already launched upon a mass agitation for seizure of public lands in utter violation of law, others are engaged in publicly condemning the administration.”

“In resigning from my office, I blame no one. A coalition of so many disparate elements necessarily involve an adjustment with principles. But adjustment or compromise implies a limit also. In my case, this limit has been reached, that is, a stage has arrived when I can no further - compromise with the future and interest of the people as I see it.”

In a talk with newsmen, Mr Charan Singh ruled out any possibility of his forming a coalition Government with the Congress.

Not happy experiment

About his experience of the multi-party Government, Mr Charan Singh said: It was a new experiment no doubt, but it has not been a happy experiment.

Mr Charan Singh said he had also forwarded the copy of the Cabinet resolution recommending mid-term poll which was passed on Feb. 9 and later contradicted by Deputy Chief Minister Ram Prakash.

The copy of the resolution was enclosed today with the resignation letter.

When his attention was drawn to the contradiction issued by Mr Ram Prakash on the Cabinet resolution, Mr Charan Singh said: “I do not know that there was a resolution and the Cabinet approved my proposal recommending mid-term poll.”

Mr C. B. Gupta, leader of the Congress opposition, described Mr Charan Singh’s suggestion that the SVD should elect a new leader as “fantastic.”

“When Mr Singh has failed, it is hardly credible that anyone else will succeed,” he said.

The suggestion of mid-term poll, he added, was equally fantastic because all legislators including those belonging to SVD constituents had opposed the idea with one voice.

The Congress party thought this as a “gamble in wasteful expenditure of public money.”

Mr Gupta appealed to the Governor to determine the next course of action after exercising discretion in the light of the prevailing circumstances and the constitutional provisions.

This, he hoped, the Governor would do after “consulting all shades of opinion,” and in a manner that will safeguard the democratic traditions and give this State a stable Government.

SSP leader Madhu Limaye said a new SVD Government could be formed under a new leader.

But he made it clear that his party would not participate in the Government.

‘Unhappy man’

But for an initial period of four months, the first non-Congress Government in U.P., headed by Mr Charan Singh, was faced with political uncertainties throughout its ten and a half-month tenure.

Mr Charan Singh, who described himself as an “unhappy man” more than once during the last few months, came to power on April 6 last year, after quitting the Congress with 17 of his followers in the Assembly.

Mr Raj Bahadur Dwivedi, general secretary of the BKD, told newsmen the BKD executive noted that no constituent unit had so far been able to reply to the ten points raised by the Chief Minister which was very necessary for running the administration properly.

The ten points of the Chief Minister included whether the Chief Minister had the prerogative to make changes in the allocation of portfolios, if the Government would take any action against those who destroyed public and private property in agitations. whether any action should be taken against those State employees who violated the discipline.