Central Congress Politics 1937–9

The election victories in 1937 appeared to confirm the Congress claim to be the most powerful political institution in India. In theory, as their election manifesto had stated, the Congress had only fought the P.L.A. elections in order to destroy the 1935 constitutional settlement from the inside. The new strength of the Congress now seemed to put new weapons into the hands of the all-India leaders in their struggle against the British. The central Congress leaders were committed to preventing the federal scheme of 1935 being brought in and to obstructing its working if it were imposed. But in practice, the all-India leaders lost the ability, if not the will, to carry out these threats.