The Gaya session of the Indian National Congress (1922), after which the Swaraj Party was formed, was presided over by:

The Gaya session of the Indian National Congress, held in December 1922, was presided over by Chittaranjan Das (C. R. Das).

Background:

• Gandhi withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922, after the violence at Chauri Chaura.
• Gandhi was arrested in March 1922 and sentenced to six years' imprisonment.
• A debate arose within the Congress about the next step.

The Gaya session (December 1922):

• R. Das, as President, proposed that the Congress should enter the legislative councils and obstruct their work from within.
• The proposal was defeated by the "No-Changers", led by Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad and others, who wanted to continue the boycott and focus on constructive work.
• R. Das resigned as President.

The Swaraj Party:

On 1 January 1923, C. R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party.

• R. Das became its President and Motilal Nehru its Secretary.

The Swarajists won many seats in the elections of 1923, and obstructed the government in the Central Legislative Assembly and the provincial councils.

Vithalbhai Patel, a Swarajist, became the first elected Indian President (Speaker) of the Central Legislative Assembly (1925).

About Chittaranjan Das:

• He was born on 5 November 1870 at Calcutta.
• He was a famous lawyer; he defended Aurobindo Ghosh in the Alipore Bomb Case (1908-09).
• He gave up his legal practice to join the Non-Cooperation Movement, and donated his property to the nation.
• He became the first Mayor of the Calcutta Corporation (1924).
• He founded the newspaper "Forward".
• He died on 16 June 1925 at Darjeeling.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Motilal Nehru, Hakim Ajmal Khan and Sarojini Naidu presided over other sessions.