Insights from History: Coalition Governments in Colonial India

Why in the news?

Prime Minister recently suggested a link between the Congress manifesto and the Muslim League (which is responsible for the Partition of India), prompting a political debate.
In rebuttal, critics reminded of a coalition governments formed by Hindu Mahasabha in Bengal, Sindh, and North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) in the 1940s with the Muslim League.

Congress performed admirably in the 1937 provincial elections, held under the mandate of the Government of India Act of 1935.
It won 711 of a total 1,585 provincial assembly seats, with absolute majorities in 5 of the 11 provinces (Madras, Bihar, Orissa, Central Provinces, and United Provinces) and a near-majority in Bombay (86 out of 175).
Congress ministries were formed in all of these provinces.
Sometime later, the Congress also formed governments in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Assam.

Non-Congress governments were formed in the remaining 3 provinces — Sindh, Punjab, and Bengal.
In Sindh, a coalition led by the Sind United Party formed the government; in Punjab, Sikandar Hayat Khan’s Unionist Party won a majority.
And in Bengal, Fazlul Huq’s Krishak Praja Party (KPP) formed a coalition government with the Muslim League— even though the Congress was the single largest party with 54 seats.

Notably, the Muslim League, which claimed to be the sole representative of Indian Muslims, performed abysmally in the elections.
The League won just 106 out of the 482 seats allotted to Muslims under separate electorates, and it failed to win even a single seat in the NWFP.
The Hindu Mahasabha, which had entered electoral politics in the 1930s under V D Savarkar’s leadership, too fared miserable.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar noted ideological similarities between the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League, both advocating for the two-nation theory.
This ideological convergence paved the way for short-lived political alliances, particularly during the turmoil following Congress’s resignation from provincial ministries in 1939.

Opposition to Quit India Movement: When Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement in 1942, the Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha refrained from participating, opting to support the British war effort.
Support for British War Efforts: Savarkar, in a letter, instructed Mahasabha members to remain loyal to their positions and not join the movement, while Syama Prasad Mookerjee pledged support to suppress any internal disturbances.
Increased Push for Partition: Jinnah, meanwhile, intensified his campaign for Pakistan, capitalizing on the absence of Congress leaders and positioning himself as the sole spokesman for Muslims.

The All India Muslim League was formed in 1906 in Dhaka, Bengal Presidency, British India.
It was established in response to the perceived marginalization and political underrepresentation of Muslims in the Indian National Congress.
The founding members of the Muslim League included prominent Muslim leaders such as Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dhaka, Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk, Aga Khan III, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who later emerged as its most influential leader.
The primary objective of the Muslim League was to safeguard the political rights and interests of Muslims in India.
It advocated for separate electorates for Muslims, reservations in government jobs and legislative bodies, and other measures to protect Muslim identity and interests.

The Hindu Mahasabha was founded in 1915 in Amritsar, Punjab, by Madan Mohan Malaviya and others.
It aimed to unite Hindus under one political umbrella and promote Hindu nationalism.
Besides Madan Mohan Malaviya, prominent leaders included Lala Lajpat Rai, B. S. Moonje, and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
It promoted the idea of Akhand Bharat (Undivided India) and opposed the partition of India on religious lines.

The period following Congress’s participation in the Quit India Movement saw the rise of the Muslim League’s influence, with League ministries established in several provinces by 1943.
Jinnah’s strategy to capitalize on Congress’s absence contributed to his claim as the sole representative of Indian Muslims, furthering the demand for Pakistan.

[2018] In the Federation established by The Government of India Act of 1935, Residuary Power were given to the:

(a) Federal Legislature

(b) Governor General

(d) Provincial Governors