The end of the civil disobedience movement once again witnessed a division in the Congress leadership in Bengal. One section within the party preferred to return to constructive social work to keep up mass contact. Others opted to contest elections for local boards and legislatures. The latter felt that ‘the members may not in principle recognize council entry as one of the means to fight the bureaucracy but it may reserve clear enunciation of its attitude towards the coming Reforms for future consideration.’ At the AICC meeting in May 1934 a new parliamentary board was formed to control electoral affairs. In Bengal, while Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy was in favour of the parliamentary programme, most Congressmen were opposed to council entry.

The Government Of India Act 1935 introduced provincial autonomy, which was to come into full force from 1 April 1937. Qualifications for inclusion in the electoral roll for the 1937 election was made dependent on taxation, property and education. However, the Act granted separate electorate to the Muslims. This meant that they would vote as a distinct political community and they were allotted 119 out of the 250 seats.

The act was expected to enfranchise 16,600,000 voters. While Congress expected to win seats in the general constituencies, it did not anticipate an uncontested victory. There were strong indications of a decline in the popularity of Congress because of general disillusionment at the failure of civil disobedience movement.