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In the contemporary Indian political landscape, the peddlers of “alternative history” have become masters at cherry-picking facts out of context to serve a specific narrative. With a noisy propaganda machine dominating the airwaves, even the most baseless claims gain a veneer of acceptance.

A primary case in point is the oft-repeated allegation – made from the highest levels of government down to social media trolls – that Jawaharlal Nehru “cheated” Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel out of the prime minister’s post in 1946. This is not merely a historical inaccuracy; it is a diabolical lie presented as truth to erode the legacy of India’s first prime minister. The ‘Nehru vs. Patel’ trope is a tool of division, used by those who seek to rewrite the past because they cannot match the inclusive vision of the men who actually built the future.

The Second World War came to an end in Europe in May 1945, and the Congress leaders who had been in prison since August 1942 were released in June 1945. The Viceroy, Lord Wavell, convened the Simla Conference to discuss a proposal for an interim government. The talks, however, collapsed as Muhammad Ali Jinnah insisted that the League be the sole representative of India’s Muslims – claim the Congress, which sought to represent all Indians, could not accept.

As 1945 drew to a close, the British government, now led by Clement Attlee’s Labour Party, announced general elections for India. These elections were held under the Government of India Act of 1935. Because the British did not concede to the demand for universal adult franchise, the right to vote was tied to socioeconomic status rather than citizenship alone.

Only about 17% of the adult population was eligible to vote. While some women gained the right to vote if they met the criteria or were married to a voter, the restrictions were so steep that less than 1% of adult women were enfranchised. I must record here that while the Congress was all for adult franchise, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was totally opposed to it.

The Congress won a massive victory in the “General” seats (approximately 90%), proving it was the undisputed choice of the non-Muslim population. The entire campaign for the Congress party was led almost single-handedly by Jawaharlal Nehru. His election tour is legendary for its sheer physical endurance and the mass awakening it triggered.

Between October 1945 and February 1946, he transformed the election into a personal referendum on Independence. He travelled approximately 30,000 miles in less than four months by every means available: small chartered planes, trains (often standing at the door to wave), open-top cars, and even bullock carts in remote villages.

It was during this tour that the press began reporting the phenomenon where hundreds of thousands of people would wait for hours in the rain or sun just to catch a darshan of him. Estimates suggest he spoke to over 10 million people in person during this period. The world press and the national press were quick to take notice that in Nehru, ordinary people saw the future leader of independent India.

The New York Times (May 11, 1946): “With the landslide victory of the Congress… the identity of India’s first Prime Minister is no longer in doubt. He is the man to whom the British will inevitably hand over the keys of the government.”

The Times (London): “Pandit Nehru has emerged not........

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