In the elections to the Congress Presidency in 1946, out of 16 Provincial Congress Committees, 13 sent a proposal to Sardar Patel, 2 to Dr. Rajendra Prasad and 1 to make Gandhi the President, but Gandhiji decided to make Nehru the President of the Congress instead of Patel. took. This decision came as a surprise to the Congress.
Gandhiji had done the same reverse four times in the past. In 1927, there were proposals for Patel's name, but in his place, Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari was given the chairmanship. In 1929, Nehru was given the presidency in place of Patel. In 1936, Nehru was given the presidency in place of Patel.
In 1939, proposals came in the name of Subhash Chandra Bose, but Gandhiji decided to make Pattabhi Sitaramayya the president. Subhash won the election by contesting against Sitaramayya but Gandhiji left the Congress in anger. Subhash Chandra left the Congress after getting upset.
Even in 1946, Gandhiji decided to make Nehru the President in place of Patel. This time the special thing in the presidency was that a few days later an interim government was to be formed in India. The same person was to be invited by the Viceroy to form the government who was the President of the Congress.
That is why Gandhiji wanted Nehru to be made the President in place of Patel so that he could become the Prime Minister of India. Respecting Gandhiji's wish, Patel gave up his claim and supported Nehru. The Viceroy invited Nehru to become the Prime Minister and Patel was stunned.
Even after independence, Nehru was made the Prime Minister and Patel as the Deputy Prime Minister. Nehru kept the foreign ministry with him and Patel was given the home ministry.
Historians and critics have been puzzling over why Gandhiji chose Patel for the post of Prime Minister in place of Nehru. Most people believe that Gandhi believed that Nehru was educated at Harrow, Cambridge and London, while Patel was a student of India's rural schools.
So Nehru was more able to talk to the British than Patel. Durgadas has written that Gandhiji felt that Nehru was more able to talk to the international fraternity as Nehru had traveled to countries like Europe, China, Russia etc. Some believe that Gandhi felt that Nehru was closer to Gandhi's ideas than Patel in terms of sympathy for Muslims. Therefore, instead of Patel, Nehru was made the Prime Minister and the country was handed over to him.