Swarajist Achievements

Following the abrupt suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident, the Indian National Congress faced an internal ideological crisis. The movement had slowed down, and Mahatma Gandhi was arrested in March 1922. This created a political vacuum, leading to a divide within the Congress ranks on the future course of action regarding entry into the Legislative Councils established under the Government of India Act 1919.

The Pro-Changers vs. No-Changers Divide

• Pro-Changers: Led by Chittaranjan (C.R.) Das, Motilal Nehru, and Ajmal Khan, this faction advocated for ending the boycott of legislative councils. They proposed entering the councils to wreck the reforms from within, expose the true nature of British rule, and use the assemblies as arenas for political struggle.
• No-Changers: Led by C. Rajagopalachari, Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, and M.A. Ansari, this faction opposed council entry. They advocated for continuing the boycott and concentrating on Gandhi’s constructive program, which included rural upliftment, promoting Khadi, and Hindu-Muslim unity.

Formation of the Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party

At the Gaya Session of the Congress in December 1922, presided over by C.R. Das, the Pro-Changers’ proposal for council entry was defeated. Consequently, C.R. Das resigned from the presidency, and along with Motilal Nehru, announced the formation of the Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party (popularly known as the Swaraj Party) on January 1, 1923, with C.R. Das as President and Motilal Nehru as one of the secretaries. A compromise was later reached at the special Congress session in Delhi (September 1923), allowing the Swarajists to contest elections as a group within the Congress.

Electoral Performance in the 1923 Elections

The Swaraj Party contested the elections to the Central Legislative Assembly and Provincial Councils held in November 1923 with a manifesto aimed at demanding self-government and obstructing official business if demands were unmet.

Electoral Outcomes by Assembly

• Central Legislative Assembly: The Swarajists won 42 out of 101 elected seats, emerging as a powerful bloc. They formed coalitions with independent members like Madan Mohan Malaviya and Mohammad Ali Jinnah to secure a working majority.
• Central Provinces: The party secured a clear, absolute majority, effectively halting the functioning of the dyarchy system in the province.
• Bengal Provincial Council: The Swarajists emerged as the single largest party. C.R. Das refused the Governor’s invitation to form a ministry, choosing instead to block government legislation.
• Bombay and Uttar Pradesh (United Provinces): The party scored significant electoral gains, though they did not achieve absolute majorities.
• Madras and Punjab: The party performed poorly due to strong caste and communal politics, dominated by the non-Brahmin Justice Party and the Unionist Party respectively.

Major Achievements of the Swarajists

Despite being a minority in the overall structure of British administrative control, the Swarajists utilized parliamentary diplomacy to score major political victories between 1923 and 1928.

Legislative Obstruction and Exposing Dyarchy

• Wrecking from Within: By voting consistently against government measures, budget proposals, and official bills, the Swarajists repeatedly forced the Governors and the Governor-General to use their extraordinary powers of certification. This exposed the autocratic nature of the 1919 Montagu-Chelmsford reforms.
• Deadlock in Provinces: In the Central Provinces and Bengal, they successfully blocked the salaries of ministers, forcing the Governors to take over the administration and suspend the dyarchical system.

Historic Resolutions and Constitutional Demands

• The National Demand (1924): Motilal Nehru introduced a historic resolution in the Central Legislative Assembly demanding the framing of a new Constitution by a representative Round Table Conference. Though rejected by the government, it laid the groundwork for future constitutional dialogues.
• Appointment of the Muddiman Committee: Due to relentless Swarajist pressure regarding the flaws of Dyarchy, the British government appointed the Reforms Inquiry Committee under Sir Alexander Muddiman in 1924. The minority report of this committee condemned the dyarchy system.

Capturing Local Self-Governments

The Swarajists contested and won municipal elections, using local bodies to advance nationalist education, health, and civic administration.

Selection of Vithalbhai Patel as Speaker (1925)

In August 1925, Vithalbhai Patel (brother of Vallabhbhai Patel) was elected as the first Indian President (Speaker) of the Central Legislative Assembly. He utilized his position to uphold parliamentary privileges, counter official high-handedness, and establish democratic precedents within the chamber.

Defeat of the Public Safety Bill (1928)

In 1928, the government introduced the Public Safety Bill aimed at curbing communist and socialist activities by empowering the administration to deport undesirable foreign nationals. The Swarajists, led by Motilal Nehru and aided by Speaker Vithalbhai Patel’s casting vote, defeated the bill, delivering a major political blow to the British executive.

Limitations and Decline of the Swarajists

The Swaraj Party began to lose its cohesion and political momentum after 1925 due to internal ideological shifts, external communal pressures, and the loss of key leadership.

Internal Fractures and the Rise of Responsivists

Following the death of C.R. Das in June 1925, the party split into two distinct factions over the policy of continuous obstruction.

• Responsivists: Led by Lala Lajpat Rai, Madan Mohan Malaviya, N.C. Kelkar, and M.R. Jayakar. They advocated cooperating with the government to hold official positions and safeguard Hindu interests.
• Non-Responsivists: Led by Motilal Nehru, who maintained the original stance of unyielding opposition and walked out of the legislature in 1926 when demands were ignored.

Summary of Factors Leading to Decline

• Communal Polarization: The mid-1920s witnessed a rise in communal riots. The Swaraj Party’s failure to maintain a cohesive stance on communal representation alienated both Muslim legislators and orthodox Hindu elements.
• Lure of Office: The strategy of “wrecking from within” was compromised as several members accepted government nominations, committee chairs, and ministerial positions, weakening the party’s anti-imperialist posture.
• 1926 Electoral Setback: In the elections of 1926, the Swarajists suffered severe losses in all provinces except Madras and Bihar, largely due to the rise of communal parties and the Responsivist faction.
• Rejoining the Mainstream: The arrival of the all-British Simon Commission in 1928 reunited all factions of the Indian National Congress in a common boycott, rendering the specific legislative strategy of the Swarajists obsolete. The party formally merged back into the Congress during the adoption of Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) at the Lahore Session in 1929.