Following the 1937 Bombay Presidency elections,

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

emerged as the largest group in the

Bombay Legislative Assembly Bombay Legislative Assembly came into existence in 1937, as the legislature of Bombay Presidency, a Provinces of India, province of India. It functioned until 1960, when separate states of Maharashtra and Gujarat were formed. History The first se ...

. However, when its leader B. G. Kher refused to form a government,

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Lord Brabourne Baron Brabourne, of Brabourne in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1880 for the Liberal politician Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen, the second son of Sir Edward Knatchbull, 9th Baronet, of Mersh ...

instead invited

Dhanjishah Cooper Sir Dhanjishah Bomanji Cooper (2 January 1878 – 29 July 1947) was an Indian Parsi industrialist, politician and the first Prime Minister of Bombay Presidency. Cooper was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1937 New Year Honours. Early life Dhanjis ...

, an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

member from Satara, to be the Presidency's

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

on 1 April 1937. Cooper accepted and thus, became's Bombay's first prime minister. The four-member ministry he formed shortly resigned due to lack of majority support, and was replaced by Kher's ministry in July 1937.

Government formation

had secured highest seats in the

1937 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1937. Asia * 1937 Philippine local elections * 1937 Iranian legislative election * 1937 Soviet Union legislative election India * 1937 Indian provincial elections * 1937 Madras Presidency legislative a ...

. However, the party refused to form a government due to disagreements over the Governor's reserve powers as envisioned by the

Government of India Act 1935 The Government of India Act 1935 (25 & 26 Geo. 5. c. 42) was an Act of Parliament (UK), act passed by the British Parliament that originally received royal assent in August 1935. It was the longest act that the British Parliament ever enact ...

. After Congress' B. G. Kher refused his mandate, the Governor invited the second-largest

Muslim League Muslim League may refer to: Political parties British India *All-India Muslim League, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan ** Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organization above **Unionist Muslim L ...

. Citing that the League would be unable to maintain a stable majority, Ali Muhammad Khan Dehlavi refused office as well. After either party had refused, the Governor invited Cooper to take up premiership. Cooper tried establishing a government of non-Congress parties, including Muslim League and Democratic Swarajya Party. In May 1937, Jamnadas Mehta of Democratic Swaraj Party joined the Cooper ministry on the condition of the unconditional release of

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (28 May 1883 – 26 February 1966 ), was an Indian politician, activist and writer. Savarkar developed the Hindu nationalist political ideology of Hindutva while confined at Ratnagiri in 1922. The prefix "Veer" (mea ...

from detention. Freeing Savarkar from all restrictions was a significant action by the short-lived Cooper ministry.

List of ministers

Cooper's ministry had four

cabinet ministers A cabinet in governing is a group of people with the constitutional or legal task to rule a country or state, or advise a head of state, usually from the executive branch. Their members are known as ministers and secretaries and they are ...

References

{{Maharashtra state government ministries 1937 in India C Cabinets established in 1937 Cabinets disestablished in 1937 Bombay Presidency