Who along with Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party within the Congress to argue for a return to council politics?

Correct option is A

Ans. (a) CR Das

Sol.Chittaranjan Das (CR Das), along with Motilal Nehru, founded the Swaraj Party in 1923 within the Indian National Congress. The party was formed to contest elections to the legislative councils established under the Government of India Act, 1919 and to oppose British policies from within. CR Das was the President, and Motilal Nehru was the Secretary of the party. Their aim was to use constitutional means to voice nationalist demands, unlike the Non-Cooperation Movement, which advocated complete boycott.

Information Booster:

• The Swaraj Party was also called the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party.
• It was formed after the suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1922) following the Chauri Chaura incident.
• CR Das was a respected nationalist leader and a strong advocate of self-governance (Swaraj).
• The Swarajists aimed to expose the flaws of British rule by obstructing council policies rather than simply boycotting them.
• The party had significant success in the 1923 elections, winning many seats in Central Legislative Assembly and provincial councils.
• CR Das became the Mayor of Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1924, promoting nationalist policies at the municipal level.
• After CR Das’s death in 1925, the party weakened, and its members rejoined the Congress mainstream.

Additional Information:

• Jawaharlal Nehru (b) – He was an important Congress leader but did not play a key role in forming the Swaraj Party. He was more inclined toward mass movements and complete independence rather than council politics.
• BR Ambedkar (c) – He was a leader of Dalit rights and constitutional reforms. He was not associated with the Swaraj Party but later formed the Independent Labour Party (1936) and played a crucial role in drafting the Indian Constitution.
• Subhas Chandra Bose (d) – A prominent Congress leader who later formed the Forward Bloc (1939). He was not involved in the Swaraj Party but was a strong advocate of complete independence (Purna Swaraj).