Mrs Gandhi’s party beaten in state election

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33869, 14 June 1975, Page 15

Mrs Gandhi’s party beaten in state election

i 6V.Z. Press Association) NEW DELHI, j June 13. [ The Congress Party .of the Prime Minister ; I (Mrs Indira Gandhi) suffered major reverses [ in an important State! election today as she be-1 gan a legal battle to re-i tain her job after conviction of corrupt political practices. In the second blow in less than 24 hours to Mrs Gandhi’s power base, her party lost control of the ! Government in central ■ 'Gujarat state, where it had won a landslide victory three years ago. Results having been; announced for all but one of the 181 contested seats fori . a new state legislature, a i newly-formed non-Communistt alliance had won 86 seats and announced it would try to! 'form a Government with the! help of independents. The Congress Party won "4 i seats, a sharp drop from , 1972 when it took 140 of the ’then 168 seats. Mrs Gandhi had campaigned vigorously on behalf!

of the Congress candidates this year in Gujarat and had staked her personal prestige on the results. Although the ballots were , counted on Thursday, the ’ elections were held on Sunday and Wednesday, before ; the guilty verdict against ,|Mrs Gandhi pronounced by Judge Jag Mohanlal Sinha in Ithe Prime Minister’s home city of Allahabad. The 57year-old Prime Minister’s immediate task was to file an appeal with the Supreme Court against her conviction on . charges of having won her Parliament seat in 1971 through corrupt practices that included using Government officials to help her campaign. Mrs Gandhi received thej mandatory sentence: a six-; i year ban on her holding any 1 public office or contesting' lanv election. But. Judge Sinha delayed i imposition of the ban for 20 days to allow the Prime Minister to file an appeal with ! the. Supreme Court. Her lawyers said that they 1 would need a few days to

if study Judge Sinha’s judgment before filing the appeal: petition and asking the: Supreme Court to let Mrs! Gandhi remain in office until its verdict is delivered — a procedure that, could take! several months. The Congress Party began: organising an intensive campaign to demonstrate support, for Mrs Gandhi’s decision to! remain as head of the Gov-; eminent despite the convic-i tion. Party officials said the demonstrations and special! meetings would be organised! throughout the country to urge Mrs Gandhi not to step down. Opposition leaders critiicised the action, saying that' I Mrs Gandhi was continuing i to rely on Government I officials and machinery to! | further her political ends. Indian newspapers that have been criticial of the Prime Minister in the past ; urged her to resign immed- ! iately and await the results' of the appeal to the Supreme! Court. However, others that have

■ traditionally backed her said !|in editorials that there was nothing wrong if she stayed din office for the time being at least, especially since Judge Sinha had given her a 20-day reprieve.