Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939 ? 1. Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi. 2. The Congress Left was disunited and failed to support Bose. 3. The Communists did not support Bose in his endeavours. 4. 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 :
- (a) 1, 2 and 3
- (b) 1, 2 and 4 ✓ UPSC's answer
- (c) 1, 3 and 4
- (d) 2 and 4 only
Why the answer is (b)
• Bose won the Tripuri Congress presidency in 1939 against Gandhi's candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya but could not form a Working Committee without Gandhi's confidence, and resigned in April — factor 1 is correct.
• The Congress Left (CSP, Royists, communists) was divided and unwilling to break the Congress over Bose; it left him isolated — factor 2 is correct.
• Jayaprakash Narayan's socialists and M.N. Roy's followers explicitly chose Congress unity over backing Bose — factor 4 is correct.
• Statement 3 is treated as not a distinct factor in the key: the communists were then working inside the Congress Socialist Party and their position is subsumed in the Left's overall disunity (factor 2) rather than counted separately.
• Bose therefore founded the Forward Bloc in May 1939 to rally the Left inside Congress; the answer is 1, 2 and 4.
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 1, 2 and 3
- Factor 4 (socialists and Royists preferring unity) is a recognised cause and cannot be omitted; statement 3 is not counted separately.
- (c) 1, 3 and 4
- Factor 2 (Left disunity) is central and cannot be omitted.
- (d) 2 and 4 only
- Factor 1, Bose's failure to win Gandhi's confidence, is the immediate trigger and must be included.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026, held on 24 May 2026. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.