UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 49
Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939?
- Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi.
- The Congress Left was disunited and failed to support Bose.
- The Communists did not support Bose in his endeavours.
- The supporters of M.N. Roy and socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan preferred Congress unity to supporting Bose.
Select the answer using the code given below :
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Correct Option: B
Explanation: After the Tripuri Congress crisis, Bose formed the Forward Bloc in 1939 amid tension with Gandhi’s leadership and a divided Congress left.
Statement-wise Analysis:
Statement 1: Correct - Bose had lost the confidence and effective cooperation of Gandhi’s dominant Congress group.
Statement 2: Correct - The Congress left lacked sufficient unity to rally behind Bose’s alternative leadership.
Statement 3: Incorrect - It is too absolute to say that Communists uniformly refused to support Bose; alignments were varied.
Statement 4: Correct - Royists and influential socialists prioritised keeping Congress unity over endorsing Bose’s separate strategy.
Option-wise Analysis:
A: Incorrect - Includes unsupported item(s) 3 and omits supported item(s) 4.
B: Correct - This option includes the supported item(s) and excludes the unsupported ones.
C: Incorrect - Includes unsupported item(s) 3 and omits supported item(s) 2.
D: Incorrect - Omits supported item(s) 1.
Review note: The exact roles of CPI, Congress Socialist Party and Royists in 1939 deserve nuanced historical sourcing.