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In 1923, the Swaraj Party, which aimed to enter the legislative councils and obstruct the government from within, was formed by:
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Answer: Option B — Motilal Nehru and Chittaranjan Das
Detailed Solution
The Swaraj Party (Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party) was formed on 1 January 1923 by Chittaranjan Das (C. R. Das) and Motilal Nehru.
Background:
After Gandhi called off the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922, there was a debate in the Congress about what to do next.
One group, the "Pro-Changers", led by C. R. Das and Motilal Nehru, wanted the Congress to contest the elections to the legislative councils, so that they could oppose the government from within and expose the weakness of the reforms.
Another group, the "No-Changers", led by Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad and C. Rajagopalachari, wanted to continue boycotting the councils and to focus on Gandhi's constructive programme.
At the Gaya session of the Congress (December 1922), presided over by C. R. Das, the proposal to enter the councils was defeated.
- R. Das resigned as President, and with Motilal Nehru, formed the Swaraj Party.
The Swaraj Party's programme:
- To contest elections to the legislative councils, and to obstruct the working of the government from within, through "uniform, continuous and consistent obstruction".
- R. Das was the President and Motilal Nehru was the Secretary.
Achievements:
- In the elections of 1923, the Swarajists won many seats, especially in the Central Legislative Assembly and in Bengal and the Central Provinces.
- They defeated the government on several important issues, such as the budget.
- Vithalbhai Patel, a Swarajist, was elected President (Speaker) of the Central Legislative Assembly (1925), the first Indian to hold this post.
- They exposed the hollowness of the reforms of 1919.
Decline:
After C. R. Das's death in June 1925, the party weakened.
Some members accepted government posts, and communal differences increased.
The party eventually merged back into the Congress.
About C. R. Das:
He was called "Deshbandhu" ("friend of the nation").
About Motilal Nehru:
- He was the father of Jawaharlal Nehru.
- Good to know
- The other pairs did not found the Swaraj Party.
Quick tip
Remember: Swaraj Party (1 January 1923) = C. R. Das (President) and Motilal Nehru (Secretary); council entry; Vithalbhai Patel first Indian Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly (1925).
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Indian National Congress & Its Sessions — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Indian National Congress & Its Sessions, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 by A. O. Hume, and its first session was held in Bombay under W. C. Bonnerjee. This topic covers the important Congress sessions and their presidents, the moderate and extremist phases, the Surat split, and the founding and role of the Muslim League. Questions commonly ask who presided over a session, where a session was held, or what was decided there. For example, the 1929 Lahore session under Jawaharlal Nehru adopted the goal of Purna Swaraj, and the 1931 Karachi session passed the resolution on Fundamental Rights. The first woman president of the Congress was Annie Besant (Calcutta, 1917). Practise the Indian National Congress questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.