New Delhi: The country is going to celebrate the 74th Republic Day on January 26, 2023. Our Constitution is going to complete 74 years. But on national festivals like Republic Day or Independence Day, questions have often been raised how did Jawaharlal Nehru become the first Prime Minister of the country before the constitution of the country was made? India's first Lok Sabha elections were held between October 25, 1951, and February 21, 1952. It was only after this that the first constitutional government of India was elected. At that time, the country's first PM Nehru became the Prime Minister for the second time. By then Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had passed away. But, the country became independent in August 1947. Then who ruled India from August 15, 1947, until the first election in 1952? How did Nehru become the country's first PM without elections? Was Sardar Patel better than Nehru for the prime minister's post? Because it is often said that if Sardar Patel had become the first PM of the country, the situation of the country today would have been different. In such a situation, the question also arises whether Sardar Patel himself did not want to become PM or was he not allowed to become PM. Did Mahatma Gandhi have any role in choosing the PM at that time? There are many questions that have been in the minds of people for many years and often arise on various occasions.
In fact, when World War II ended in 1945, the British understood that India could no longer be enslaved. At the same time, the leaders of the freedom struggle, who were engaged in freedom, also understood that now the fight has reached the final stage. In such a situation, the British government planned a cabinet mission in 1946. This cabinet mission can be understood in such a way that it was the framework of the post-independence government. The British officials were to meet Indian leaders and hold talks in this regard. In this way, the outline of the interim government in the country was decided. It was also decided that the President of Congress will become the Prime Minister of the future government. At that time the President of the Congress was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who resigned at the behest of Gandhi.
The entire Congress was in favor of making Sardar Patel the PM:-
After this, the search for the new President of the Congress i.e. the future PM of the country started. A meeting of the Congress Working Committee was convened in April 1946. In this many veteran leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, and Acharya JB Kripalani reached. At that time, the Congress President was elected by the Provincial Congress Committees. But, interestingly, none of the provincial committees had proposed Nehru's name. Of the 15 provincial committees of the Congress, 12 were in favor of making Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel the president i.e. the future PM. The reason for this was that Sardar Patel's grip on the organization was very strong. At that time, three other Congress committees had proposed the names of JB Kripalani and P Sitaramayya, but none named Nehru. One thing was clear from this the majority was in favor of Patel.
Mahatma Gandhi wanted Pandit Nehru to be PM:-
However, by that time one thing had become clear that Mahatma Gandhi wanted to see Nehru as the PM. Gandhiji had also told this to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad when he asked him to leave the post of Congress President. It is said that before the Congress meeting, Mahatma Gandhi wrote in a letter to Maulana, 'If asked me, I will give priority to Nehru. I have many reasons for this.' But, even after this clear stand of Mahatma Gandhi, other Congress leaders were not ready to make Nehru the party president and PM.
Finally, when Bapu's pressure increased, Archaya Kriplani had to say that I propose the name of Jawaharlal Nehru, respecting Bapu's sentiments. Along with this, he took Pandit Nehru's name on a piece of paper and took it forward. After which many members of the working committee signed it. Sardar Patel also signed this paper. In the meeting, General Secretary JB Kripalani also urged Sardar Patel to withdraw his candidature and allow Nehru to become the President on another paper. However, Kripalani still left the final decision to Mahatma Gandhi. After this, Mahatma Gandhi extended the paper bearing Nehru's name to Sardar Patel for his signature. Respecting the decision of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel withdrew his candidature.
Nehru will not work under Patel:-
Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi has written in his book 'Patel-A Life' that there may be no other reason, but Sarkar Patel must have been hurt by this. Actually, Mahatma Gandhi felt that since Patel became PM, Nehru would not like to work under his leadership. In this way, the way for Nehru to become PM was opened because of Mahatma Gandhi. After independence, on 15 August 1947, Sardar Patel was made the first Deputy Prime Minister of the country. Along with this, Patel was also entrusted with the responsibility of the Home Ministry of independent India. He also had the charge of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Lord Mountbatten administered the oath to Nehru:-
On 15 August 1947, Lord Mountbatten, the Governor-General (a post equivalent to the President), administered the oath of office to Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of India. At that time Vallabh Bhai Patel was in active politics. He could have been a strong contender for the post of PM. Let us tell you that Pandit Nehru's love affair with this Lord Mountbatten's wife Edwina is often discussed and Mountbatten himself knew everything in this matter, but before the formation of the Constitution, Nehru became the Prime Minister, these questions also arise, After all, how did he took an oath and become the PM in 1947? In this regard, Sudhanshu Trivedi says that, in 1914, the Congress party passed a resolution expressing allegiance to British rule. When the first interim government was formed in 1946, PM Nehru became the Prime Minister by taking an oath in the name of the British Queen. At that time, Socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia had refused to join the government saying that he could not take oath in the name of the British Queen under any circumstances. It is said that after 1946, in 1947 also Nehru became the Prime Minister without election by taking an oath in the name of the British Queen. After this, when the country's first elections were held in 1951-52, by then Patel died and the constitution had also been made, after which Pandit Nehru took the oath of the constitution and took over the post of Prime Minister.
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