1937 Provincial Elections and the Formation of Congress Ministries

Excellent — now we come to a turning point in the Indian National Movement, both politically and psychologically: the Provincial Elections of 1937 and the formation of Congress Ministries.

This phase marks the Congress’s transition from mass agitation to responsible governance, and it reveals how India’s nationalist politics matured — learning to balance idealism with administrative realism.

Let’s understand:

🗳️ The Political Context (1936–39): From Confrontation to Constitution

Between 1936 and 1939, the Congress experienced a remarkable transformation.

• After years of confrontation with the British (through Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience),
• The Congress now decided to enter the constitutional arena, i.e., to participate in elections under the Government of India Act, 1935.

This shift didn’t mean that Congress accepted British rule.
Rather, it was a strategic adaptation — to test the reforms, expose their weaknesses, and use whatever limited power existed to serve the people.

In simple words, the Congress said:

“We reject the Act politically — but we’ll use it practically to fight you from within.”

📜 Congress Election Manifesto: The Spirit of the Campaign

The Congress Manifesto clearly defined the party’s stand and aims.

It stated that the purpose of entering the legislatures was not cooperation with the British,
but to combat the 1935 Act and to advance national interests through every available channel.

The manifesto made several popular promises:

1. Civil and Political Reforms

• Establishment of civil liberties (freedom of speech, press, and assembly),
• Release of political prisoners, and
• Abolition of repressive laws.

2. Social Justice

• Removal of untouchability,
• Equal rights for women,
• Promotion of khadi and village industries.

3. Communal Harmony

• A pledge to find a just and fair solution to communal problems.

4. Labour Rights

• Better working conditions,
• Right to form unions,
• Fixed working hours, and
• A living wage for workers.

The manifesto reflected a strong nationalist and socio-economic agenda, making the Congress appear as the party of the people, not just a political organisation.

🏆 The Elections of February 1937: Congress’s Triumph

The results of the 1937 elections were a political earthquake — a decisive proof of how deeply the Congress had penetrated Indian society.

Out of 1,161 seats contested, the Congress won 716 — a massive victory that demonstrated nationwide support for its leadership.

Provincial Outcomes

• Congress became the largest party in 9 out of 11 provinces,
• And gained absolute majorities in 5 provinces:
  1. United Provinces (U.P.)
  2. Central Provinces (C.P.)
  3. Bihar
  4. Orissa
  5. Madras

Congress Ministries Formed (1937)

By mid-1937, Congress ministries were formed in seven provinces:

Province	Congress “Prime Minister”
Bombay	B. G. Kher
United Provinces	Govind Ballabh Pant
Madras	C. Rajagopalachari
Orissa	Hare Krishna Mehtab
Central Provinces	Dr. N. B. Khare
Bihar	Sri Krishna Sinha
North-West Frontier Province	Dr. Khan Saheb

Later, in 1938, Congress also formed a coalition government in Assam under Gopinath Bordoloi, bringing the total to eight provinces under Congress rule.

• In Sindh, Congress supported Hidayatullah’s ministry,
• In Punjab, the Unionist Party led by Sikandar Hayat Khan remained in power,
• In Bengal, a coalition of the Krishak Praja Party (A. K. Fazlul Huq) and the Muslim League ruled.

Thus, the Congress now governed nearly two-thirds of British India — a scale of influence it had never achieved before.

📊 Congress’s Performance in Reserved Seats

While the Congress dominated the general constituencies, its performance in reserved or special interest seats was mixed.

Labour Seats

• Out of 38 reserved seats, Congress contested 20 and won 18 — an excellent performance.

Commerce & Industry

• Out of 56 seats, it contested 8 and won only 3.

Landholders

• Out of 37 seats, it contested 8 and won 4.

Muslim Seats

• Out of 482 Muslim seats, Congress contested 58 and won 26 —
  most of them in the North-West Frontier Province (15 seats).
• In provinces like Bombay, U.P., C.P., Sindh, and Bengal, Congress could not win even one Muslim seat.

This revealed a critical reality — while Congress had a strong national base, it had weak Muslim representation, especially in provinces where Muslims were a majority.

⚖️ The Muslim League and Others

However, the Congress’s rivals also failed to perform impressively:

Muslim League:

• Could not win a single seat in NWFP,
• Won only 2 out of 84 Muslim seats in Punjab,
• And 3 out of 33 in Sindh.

This showed that in 1937, the Muslim League was not yet the voice of all Muslims — a fact that would dramatically change by 1946.

Hindu Mahasabha:

• Performed poorly, failing to gain any major foothold.

Landlord and Moneylender Parties:

• Also lost heavily, reflecting the growing anti-feudal sentiment among the people.

🏛️ The Council of States (Upper Houses)

In contrast to its dominance in the lower houses, the Congress did not perform well in the Upper Houses.

Why?
Because voting rights for these councils were restricted to the wealthy, propertied classes.
Hence, landlords, industrialists, and moneylenders — who generally opposed Congress’s radical reform agenda — continued to dominate.

This imbalance created challenges for Congress ministries later, as the Upper Houses often blocked progressive legislation.

🤝 The Question of Office Acceptance — Again

Even after winning the elections, the Congress did not immediately form ministries.

Here’s what happened step by step:

1. The AICC (All India Congress Committee) met in March 1937 to decide on office acceptance.
   • Rajendra Prasad moved a resolution for conditional acceptance:
     Congress would form ministries only if the *Governors refrained from using their “special powers.”
2. The Governors refused to give such an assurance — they insisted on retaining their right to override ministers.
3. As a result, Congress initially declined to form governments, leading to a few weeks of “Interim Ministries” being run by non-Congress politicians.
4. Later, in July 1937, the Congress Working Committee met at Wardha and decided to accept office, even without British guarantees —
   believing that it was better to rule and test the system than to stay out and let others exploit it.

Thus, Congress moved from principled hesitation to pragmatic acceptance — showing political flexibility once again.

🌾 Significance of the 1937 Elections

The 1937 provincial elections were not merely a political event — they were a turning point in India’s freedom struggle.

Let’s highlight the key takeaways:

1. Democratic Legitimacy:
   The Congress’s sweeping victory proved that it represented the true will of the Indian people.
2. Administrative Experience:
   Congress leaders now gained practical experience in governance — budgeting, lawmaking, administration —
   which later helped immensely in independent India’s nation-building.
3. Mass to Class Transition:
   The movement moved from street protests to government offices — from agitators to administrators.
4. Muslim League’s Weakness:
   The League’s poor showing revealed that communal politics had not yet triumphed — though the seeds of division were already sown.
5. Congress Unity:
   Despite earlier ideological clashes, both Left and Right worked together under the new provincial ministries — showing the Congress’s resilience and internal discipline.