CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF INDIA
PART I
DATE OF COMING INTO FORCE
ARTICLE I
1. This Constitution may be called the Constitution of the Republican Party of India, here-in-after referred to as the Party.
2. It shall come into force on the 10th day of March, 1959.
AIMS, OBJECTS AND POWERS
ARTICLE II
1. The aims and objects of the Republican Party of India are as follows :
i) The preamble to the Constitution of India says –
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a
SOVEREIGN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens :
JUSTICE -social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of the Nation; …
… do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution.
To realise the aims and objects set out in the Preamble namely “JUSTICE, LIBERTY, EQUALITY and FRATERNITY” would constitute the aims and objects of the REPUBLICAN PARTY.
2. These being the aims and objects of the Party, the attitude of the Party in the public affairs will be governed by the following PRINCIPLES :-
i) It will treat all Indians not only as being equal before the law but as being entitled to equality and will accordingly foster equality where it does not exist and uphold it where it is denied.
ii) It will regard every Indian as an END IN HIMSELF with a right to his own development in his own way and the State as only a means to that end.
iii) It will sustain the right of every Indian to freedom – religious, economic and political – subject to such limitations as may arise out of the need for the protection of the interest of other Indians or the State.
iv) It will uphold the right of every Indian to equality of opportunity subject to the provision that those WHO HAVE HAD NONE in the past shall have priority over those who had.
v) It will keep the State ever aware of its obligations to make every Indian free from BONDAGE, WANT and FEAR.
vi) It will insist on the maintenance of liberty, equality and fraternity and will strive for redemption from oppression and exploitation of man by man, of class by class and of nation by nation.
vii) It will stand for the Parliamentary System of Government as being the best form of Government both in the interest of public and in the interest of the individual.
3. In pursuance of the above principles laid down by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar the party shall among other things :
i) engage itself in organising the down trodden masses of India particularly the Buddhists, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes;
ii) engage itself in organising the peasantry, the landless laborers, workers in factories and other wage-earners;
iii) undertake educational activities such as starting of schools and teaching them arts and crafts;
iv) undertake all activities for the moral and spiritual elevation of Indians;
v) keep a record of all cases of tyranny and oppression practiced upon the down trodden and to secure redress;
vi) conduct printing presses and issue literature;
vii) undertake any other activities to realise in practice all or any of the above mentioned aims and objects and the principles of the Party.
4. The powers of the Party are :-
i) to purchase, take on lease or otherwise acquire property for the Party and invest and deal with the monies of the Party in such manner as may from time to time be determined;
ii) to construct, maintain, rebuild, repair, alter, replace or reinstate houses, buildings or works for the purposes of the Party;
iii) to sell, dispose of, manage, develop, exchange, lease, mortgage or otherwise alienate or deal with all or any property of the Party;
iv) to raise money with or without security for carrying out any of the purposes, aims and objects of the Party;
v) to do all other lawful things and acts as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of any of the aforesaid aims and objects.
PART II
ORGANISATION – LOCAL
ARTICLE III
1. Local Organisation :
i) The Village Committee. ii) The Taluka or Tahsil Committee. iii) The District Committee. iv) The Pradesh Committee.
Explanation :- Committees in cities with a population of more than two lakhs and cities having population of more than twenty-five lakhs will have the status of a District Committee and Pradesh Committee respectively.
ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP
Any person who has attained the age of 18 and who accepts the Constitution and pays annual subscription of 25 Paise and further who is not a member of any other political or social organisation whose aims and objects are not approved by the Central Executive Committee of the Party shall be a member of the Republican Party and shall have a right to vote in the election to any of the constituent bodies of the Party as may be provided by the rules.
ARTICLE V
1. Every Taluka Committee shall prepare and maintain a register of Primary members.
2. Every such member shall be qualified to vote and shall also be qualified to stand for election to the Party offices, unless disqualified by any of the rules made in that behalf by or under the authority of the Party.
3. Every Primary member shall be entitled to contest the election to the office of any constituent body of the Party even though he is not a member of such constituent body.
ARTICLE VI
1. i) The primary unit of the Party shall be the Village Committee of the Party.
ii) The Village Committee shall consist of 5 to 9 members elected by the members of the Party in that village and this Committee shall elect its own office bearers.
iii) The Taluka Committee shall consist of Chairmen of all village committees within the Taluka.
iv) The Taluka Executive Committee shall consist of 9 to 13 members elected by the Taluka Committee.
v) The Taluka Executive Committee shall elect its own office-bearers.
vi)The District Executive Committee shall consist of Presidents and Secretaries of the Taluka Committees within the District.
vii) The District Executive Committee shall elect its own office-bearers.
viii)The Pradesh Executive Committee shall consist of Presidents and Secretaries of the District Committees within the Pradesh.
ix) The Pradesh Executive Committee shall elect its own office-bearers.
x)Co-option :- The Village, Taluka, District and Pradesh Executive Committee may co-opt members not exceeding four in number.
PART III
ORGANISATION – CENTRAL
ARTICLE VII
1. Central Organisation of the Republican Party shall include the following :-
i) The President of the Party.
ii) The General Secretary of the Party.
iii) The Treasurer of the Party.
iv) The General Council of the Party.
v) The Central Executive Committee of the Party.
vi) The Session or the Special Session of the Party.
ARTICLE VIII
1. The General Council of the Party shall consist of all office-bearers of the Pradesh Executive Committees.
2. The Central Executive Committee of the Party shall consist of Chairmen of all Pradesh Executive Committees.
3. The Central Executive Committee shall elect the President, General Secretary and Treasurer. The Central Executive Committee may nominate Regional Secretaries not exceeding five in number.
4. There shall be a Session of the Republican Party of India every two years.
5. The President either suo-moto or on requisition by one-third of the Pradesh Committees the Party shall call for a Special Session of the Republican Party of India.
6. The General Council of the Party shall meet as often as required by the Central Executive Committee, or on a joint requisition addressed to the Central Executive Committee by not less than 50 members. Such requisition shall specify the purpose for which the requisitionists desire a meeting of the General Council. A requisitioned meeting shall be held within two months of the receipt of the requisition. At any requisitioned meeting, additional items of business may be brought up by the Central Executive Committee of the Party.
7. Quorum : The presence of the twentyfive members shall be enough to form the quorum for a meeting of the General Council. The presence of one-third members shall be enough to form the quorum for a meeting of the Central Executive Committee.
8. Co-option : The Central Executive Committee may co-opt members not exceeding five in number.
ARTICLE IX
1. A General Session of the Party shall ordinarily be held every two years at the time and place decided upon by the General Council or the Central Executive Committee.
2. The General Session of the Party shall consist of :
i) The President of the Party,
ii) The Ex-President of the Party,
iii) Members of the General Council,
iv) Members of the Central Executive Committee and
v) Members of the Village, Taluka, District and Pradesh Executive Committees.
3. i) The General Session shall consider resolutions recommended for adoption by the Subjects Committee in the first instance.
ii) Thereafter the Session shall take up any substantive motion not included in (i), but for which, forty delegates have given notice of such motion 15 days before the Session, provided, however, that no such motion shall be allowed unless it has been previously discussed at a meeting of the Subjects Committee, and has received the support of at least one-third of the members then present in the Subjects Committee.
4. The Pradesh Executive Committee of the Party in whose jurisdiction the Session of the Party is held shall make such arrangements for holding the Session as may be deemed necessary and for this purpose form a Reception Committee which shall work under its general guidance and which may include therein persons who may not be its members.
5. The Reception Committee shall elect its Chairman and other office-bearers from amongst its own members.
6. The receipts and disbursements of the Reception Committee shall be audited by an auditor or auditors, appointed by the Pradesh Executive Committee concerned, and the statement of accounts, together with the audit report, shall be submitted by the Pradesh Executive Committee of the Party to the Central Executive Committee not later than six months after the termination of the Session. Any surplus funds shall be divided equally between the Central Executive Committee and the Pradesh Executive Committee.
ARTICLE X
1. The General Council of the Party shall meet as the Subjects Committee under the Chairmanship of the President at least one day before the Session. The Central Executive Committee shall submit to the Subjects Committee the programme of the work including draft resolutions for the Session of the Party. In preparing the draft resolutions it shall take into consideration the resolutions recommended by the Pradesh Executive Committees and resolutions given notice of by members of the General Council.
2. The Subjects Committee shall proceed to discuss the programme and shall frame resolutions for being moved in the Open Session. As for as possible, four hours shall be alloted for the consideration of the propositions of which due notice has been given by the Pradesh Executive Committees or members of the General Council.
ARTICLE XI
1. A Special Session of the Party shall be held in case the Central Executive Committee so decides or majority of the Pradesh Executive Committees by their resolutions, request the President of the Party to convene such a Special Session.
2. Such a Special Session shall be organised by the Pradesh Executive Committee of the Pradesh selected for the Session.
ARTICLE XII
1. The Central Executive Committee shall appoint one of the members of the General Council to work as Returning Officer for the election of the President. Provided that any member who is a candidate for Presidentship shall be disqualified for such an appointment.
2. Any member of the Central Executive Committee may propose the name of any member for election as President of the Party. The proposal must be seconded by other member.
3. The Returning Officer shall publish the names of all persons so proposed and it shall be open to any person whose name has been so proposed to withdraw the candidature within seven days of the publication of the proposed names by writing to the Returning Officer to that effect.
4. After eliminating the names of those who have withdrawn the Returning Officer shall publish the names of the remaining candidates and circulate them to the Pradesh Executive Committees. If after elimination, there remains only one candidate he shall be declared duly elected as President of the Party.
5. On a date fixed by the Central Executive Committee which shall not ordinarily be less than fifteen days after final publication of names of contesting candidates, each person qualified to take part in the election shall be entitled to record, for the election of the President, his vote in the following manner.
a) On the voting paper which shall exhibit the names of the candidates, the voter shall record his vote.
b) Every voter shall have one vote.
c) A simple majority shall be enough for the election of the President.
d) The President shall preside over the Sessions of the Party held after his election and during his term of office and he shall exercise all the powers of the Central Executive Committee when it is not in Session.
PART IV
DUTIES, FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF OFFICE-BEARERS
ARTICLE XIII
1. The Central Executive Committee shall be the highest executive authority of the Party and shall have power to carry into effect the policy and programme laid down by the Party and by the General Council and shall be responsible to the General Council of the Party. It shall be the final authority in all matters regarding interpretation and application of the provisions of this Constitution.
2. The Central Executive Committee shall place before every meeting of the General Council of the Party a report ofproceedings of the previous meeting of the General Council and also an agenda of business for the meeting and shall allot time for non-official resolutions of which due notice may have been given by the members of the General Council in accordance with rules prescribed in that behalf.
3. The Central Executive Committee may appoint one or more auditors or inspectors or other officers to examine the records, papers and account books of all Committees of the Party and its organisations. It shall be incumbent on all such Committees and organisations to furnish all required information to the auditors, inspectors or other officers and to give access to all offices, accounts and records.
4. The Central Executive Committee shall have the power :
i) to frame rules for the proper working of the organisation;
ii) to issue instructions not inconsistent with the Constitution and the rules, in all matters not otherwise provided for;
iii) to superintend, direct and control all the local committees and subordinate committees as well as the Reception Committee;
iv) to take such disciplinary action as it deems fit, against the Chairmen or a Committee other than the All India President;
v) to meet any special situation, the Central Executive Committee shall have the power to take such action in the interest of the Party as it may deem fit; provided, however, that if any action is taken, which is beyond, the powers of the Central Executive Committee as defined in this Constitution, it shall be submitted as early as possible to the General Council of the Party for ratification;
vi) to frame rules for maintaining discipline in the Party and for disfranchising and enfranchising members.
5. The Central Executive Committee shall have the powers in special cases of difficulties to relax application of provisions of the Constitution without in any way violating the Constitution.
6. The Central Executive Committee shall have the accounts of the General Council of the Party audited annually by an auditor or auditors appointed by the General Council of the Party every year.
7. The Pradesh Executive Committee shall frame rules not inconsistant with the Constitution or the Rules of the Central Executive Committee, for the proper working of the Pradesh Executive Committee.
PART V
ARTICLE XIV
1. Subject to the general control of the President, the General Secretary shall be in-charge of the office of the Republican Party of India.
2. The General Secretary shall be responsible for the preparation and publication of report of the proceedings of the Session of the Republican Party, including its audited accounts, as soon as possible after the Session.
3. The General Secretary shall prepare a report of the work of the General Council of the Party and the Central Executive Committee including an audited statement of accounts, for the period since the last submission of such report and submit the same to the final meeting of the General Council of the Party held before the Session of the Party.
ARTICLE XV
1. All monies received for the Party on behalf of the Central Organisation of the Party shall be paid to the account in a Bank in the name of the Party and such account shall be operated by any two of the following office-bearers :
1. President, 2. General Secretory, 3. Treasurer.
ARTICLE XVI
1. Subject to the general supervision and control of the Central Executive Committee the Pradesh Executive Committee shall be incharge of the affairs of the Party within its own jurisdiction.
2. An annual report of the work done by the local organisation of the Party in the Pradesh including its audited balance sheet shall be submitted by the Pradesh President to the Central Executive Committee.
3. On failure of any Pradesh Executive Committee to function in terms of the Constitution or in accordance with the direction of the Central Executive Committee, the latter may suspend the existing Committee and form ad-hoc committee to carry on the work of the Party in the Pradesh.
4. It shall be the responsibility of the President of the Village Committee and Taluka Committee to send annual statement of accounts to the Chairman of the District Executive Committee.
5. The President of the District Executive Committee shall send an annual statement of accounts to the President of Pradesh Executive Committee.
ARTICLE XVII
1. The amount collected by the Pradesh Executive Committee by enroling primary members of the Party, shall be equally distributed i. e. 5 Paise each amongst Village, Taluka, District, Pradesh and Central Committees.
2. Every member of the Central Executive Committee and every member of the General Council whether elected, ex-officio, associate or nominated, shall pay an annual fee of Rs. 10/- to the Party.
3. Every member of the Village Committee, Taluka Committee, District Committee shall pay Rs. 2/- and every member of the Pradesh Executive Committee shall pay Rs. 5/- per year to the respective Committee.
4. Members will not be permitted to take part in any proceedings to which they may otherwise be entitled to, if they fail to pay their fees.
PART VI
ARTICLE XVIII
1. The office of a member of any Committee or Board or Tribunal constituted under this Constitution shall be vacatedby resignation, removal under the Article XXV of the Constitution or death.
2. All vacancies shall, unless otherwise provided for, be filled in the same manner in which the vacating member was elected and member so elected shall hold office for the unexpired term of the seat vacated.
3. In the absence of any provision to the contrary, a Committee, Board or Tribunal, once it is properly constituted, shall not become invalid by reason of any vacancy in it.
4. The term of every Committee, Executive Committee and its office bearers shall be four years.
PART VII
ARTICLE XIX
1. There shall be an Election Tribunal for every Pradesh.
2. Pradesh Executive Committee shall at its first general meeting elect Pradesh Election Tribunal consisting of not less than three and not more than five persons.
3. Term of Pradesh Election Tribunal shall be four years but in any event shall continue to function till a new Tribunal is appointed.
4. A member of an Election Tribunal shall not, while he is such member, hold any elective office in the Party or stand as a candidate for any election.
5. The Central Executive Committee shall make rules for the conduct of business of the Election Tribunals. The Pradesh Election Tribunal may also make regulations not inconsistent with the rules made by the Central Executive Committee for the conduct of business.
ARTICLE XX
1. It shall be open to any candidate within a constituency to lodge a complaint, in accordance with rules made in that behalf, in respect of any election in that constituency, before the Pradesh Tribunal within fifteen days of the declaration of result of such election and the Pradesh Election Tribunal shall decide the complaint and communicate the decision to the parties concerned as expeditiously as possible.
2. Until an election is set aside by the Election Tribunal, the person elected shall be deemed to have been duly elected.
3. The Pradesh Election Tribunal may on its own motion or on a motion of the Pradesh Executive Committee or on a motion of the Party concerned, direct that any person found guilty of misconduct in connection with any election, maintenance of a Register and roll of members, lodging a false complaint or objection knowing it to be false, may be disqualified from standing as a candidate for election or be expelled from Party for a period to be named.
4. Wherever fraudulent election is reported the Pradesh Executive Committee concerned may enquire into such complaints and may take such action as may be deemed necessary.
ARTICLE XXI
1. The Pradesh Executive Committee shall elect a Pradesh Returning Officer.
2. Pradesh Returning Officer shall hold office for four years.
3. The Pradesh Returning Officer shall conduct elections to all constituent bodies of the Party in the Pradesh. He shall in consultation with the Pradesh Executive Committee and the District Committees appoint District Returning Officers, Taluka Returning Officers and such other officers for the proper conduct of elections in the Pradesh. He shall also perform such other functions allotted to him by the Central Executive Committee from time to time.
PART VIII
SELECTION OF CANDIDATES
ARTICLE XXII
1. The Central Executive Committee shall set up a Board consisting of the President and four other members with the President as the Chairman for the purpose of selecting candidates for election in the Central and State Legislatures and shall frame rules in that behalf.
2. The Election Board shall invite local committees of the Party to propose names and shall prepare a list of candidates in the order based on the support gained by the candidate.
3. The Board in making its seletion shall have regard to support received by the candidate. But it shall not be bound to select the first.
4. The Pradesh Executive Committee shall set up an Election Board to deal with the elections to local bodies including selection of candidates and frame rules for the Board.
5. The Pradesh Election Board shall recommend candidates for Central and State Legislatures to the Central Election Board.
PART IX
MISCELLANEOUS
ARTICLE XXIII
1. The flag of the Party shall consist of Ahok Chakra in white colour in Centre against a blue cloth in rectangle, length and breadth being in 3 to 2 proportion.
2. A Committee may delegate any of its power to a smaller committee or an individual.
PART X
AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE XXIV
1. This Constitution may be amended, altered or added to only by two-third majority of the Central Executive Committee.
PART XI
RULES OF DISCIPLINE
ARTICLE XXV
1. If any member of the Party commits any of the following acts he shall be deemed to be guilty of indiscipline :
i) To act contrary to the declared policy of the Party.
ii) To openly and publicly criticise the policy of the Party.
iii) To form a group within the Party to give support to any member with the object of challenging authority of constitutionally elected leader of the Party.
iv) To spread ill-feelings against any member or to carry on any campaign of vilification.
v) To obstruct the working of the Party.
vi) To misappropriate funds of the Party.
vii) To join a Party or a group not recognised by the Party.
viii)To be an office-bearer of the Party and to misuse or to fail to use the powers of that office and thereby bring about the failure of the Party.
ix) To undertake any activity outside the aims, objects and powers of the Party.
x) To oppose the official candidate put up by the Party in any election.
2. Any member guilty of any act of indiscipline shall be liable to punishment by the Pradesh Executive Committee subject to an appeal to the Central Executive Committee. The decision of the Central Executive Committee shall be final.
3. Punishment for indiscipline may be :
i) Expulsion from the Party which may be permanent.
ii) Suspension for a period from the Party.
iii) Removal from office.
iv) Imposition of disability to hold office.
PART XII
TEMPORARY PROVISIONS
ARTICLE XXVI
1. It shall be competent for the President, for the purpose of removing difficulties in the manner of putting into effect provisions of this Constitution to appoint provisional Central Executive Committee of the Republican Party of India, of such members, he deems proper not exceeding fifteen and the President together with the provisional Central Executive Committee so appointed shall have power to direct that this Constitution during the transitional period will have effect subject to such adaptions, whether by way of modifications, addition or omission as the said Committee may deem to be necessary or expedient.
This Constitution had been published for RPI declared on 03-10-1957.
More details available soon on www.rpionline.org.
For the aims, objects and principles—refer page 156 of Volume-17, Part-II of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches (Govt. of Maharashtra) and for rest of the text and proper understanding—refer page 455. The revised Constitution had been published in January 1955. For Amendments (resolution no. 4)—refer page 438 of Volume-17, Part-I. For Principles (Published on 6th October, 1951)—refer page 387 of Volume-17, Part-I.