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:
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Bipan Chandra's India's Struggle for Independence (Ch. 22) explains the 1939 Tripuri crisis: after Bose's re-election as Congress President, Gandhi withdrew confidence; the Communists, M.N. Roy's followers, and socialists like JP and Narendra Dev preferred Congress unity over backing Bose against Gandhi, leaving Bose isolated and forcing him to resign and float the Forward Bloc. Statement 2 is wrong because the Congress Left as a whole was actually disunited but the specific reason listed is the non-support of Communists and Roy/JP — not 'Left disunity' per se. Hence 1, 3 and 4. (early consensus; verify with official UPSC key when released)