Explanation: The Swaraj Party, also known as the Indian National Congress (Swarajists), was a political party in India that was founded in 1923 by Chittaranjan Das (CR Das) and Motilal Nehru. The party was formed in response to the Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, which had been suspended in 1922 following the Chauri Chaura incident. CR Das and Motilal Nehru believed that the best way to achieve self-rule (Swaraj) for India was to contest elections to the Legislative Councils and work within the system to bring about change.
Chittaranjan Das, often referred to as Deshabandhu (Friend of the Country), was a prominent lawyer and political leader from Bengal. He was a strong advocate for Indian self-rule and believed in the power of constitutional methods to achieve political goals. Motilal Nehru, a lawyer and politician from Uttar Pradesh, was a respected figure in the Indian National Congress and a father of Jawaharlal Nehru, who would later become the first Prime Minister of independent India.
The Swaraj Party contested the elections of 1923 and won a significant number of seats in the Central Legislative Assembly and the provincial councils. The party's strategy was to use the legislative bodies to expose the weaknesses of the British government and to work towards the goal of self-rule. The party's approach was seen as a middle path between the radical non-cooperation movement and the more conservative approach of the Indian National Congress.
The Swaraj Party played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement by demonstrating the potential of working within the existing political framework to achieve political goals. However, the party's influence began to wane as the Indian National Congress under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru adopted more radical approaches to the struggle for independence.
In summary, the Swaraj Party was founded by Chittaranjan Das and Motilal Nehru to contest elections and work within the system to achieve self-rule for India. This party was a significant force in the Indian independence movement, advocating for constitutional methods to bring about political change.