The Interim Government or the Provisional Government of India was formed on September 2, 1946, led by Jawaharlal Nehru. It was the only cabinet in India’s history in which arch rivals the Congress and the Muslim League shared power at the centre.
The Interim Government functioned with a great degree of autonomy and remained in power until the end of British rule, after which it was succeeded by the dominions of India and Pakistan.
The Muslim League initially decided to sit out of the government and three of the five ministries reserved for Muslims were occupied by Asif Ali, Sir Shafaat Ahmad Khan and Syed All Zaheer – all non-League representatives. Two posts remained vacant.
However, Lord WaveII agreed to allot all five reserved portfolios to the Muslim League if it agreed to co-operate and the latter finally joined. The cabinet was reshuffled to accommodate the new members in October.
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