The idea was to reconstruct the governor-general’s executive council pending the preparation of a new constitution.
The main proposals of the Wavell Plan were as follows:
With the exception of the governor-general and the commander-in-chief, all members of the Governor- General’s executive council were to be Indians.
Caste Hindus and Muslims were to have equal representation.
The reconstructed council was to function as an interim government within the framework of the 1935 Act (i.e. not responsible to the Central Assembly).
The governor-general was to exercise his veto on the advice of ministers.
Representatives of different parties were to submit a joint list to the viceroy for nominations to the executive council. If a joint list was not possible, then separate lists were to be submitted.
Why did the plan fail?
Barrister Jinnah insisted that only Muslim League should have the right to suggest the names of the Muslim representatives to the Governor General’s executive council.
The Congress objected to the plan as “an attempt to reduce the Congress to the status of a purely caste Hindu party and insisted on its right to include members of all communities among its nominees”.
