The crack that had appeared in the Congress in 1905 had widened during the period Lalaji languished in Mandlay jail. The hardliners and the softliners in the party had hardened their stands. The hardline group was led by Tilak, Vipin Chandra Pal, Lalaji and Arvind Ghosh. It stood for throwing a direct challenge to the British government to drive it out. The softliners were for making compromises and avoid confrontation with the British. They believed in gradually persuading the British to grant independence to India.
The confrontation had been building up between the two factions. The game of outwitting each other was on. The 1907 convention of the Congress was to be held in Nagpur as was decided by the party in the previous convention.
From the jail, Lala Lajpat Rai had come back a taller leader, more popular and admired. The hard liners made it known that they would like Lala Lajpat Rai to be the president of the convention.
Feroz Shah Mehta was a very influential soft line leader. He realised that Nagpur being the home base of hardline leader, Tilak, the atmosphere could be charged against the softliners. The hardliners would easily upstage the softies. So, using his influence, he got the venue of the convention changed from Nagpur to Surat. The president of the convention was also projected to be a soft line leader, Ras Bihari Bose. The matters were so manipulated by the party’s ‘Welcoming Committee’ in which Feroz Shah Mehta had great clout.
The hardliners wanted to hold parallel convention in Nagpur. They wanted Lala Lajpat Rai’s approval but he didn’t agree to this patently rebellious move.
Lalaji reached Surat with a delegation to get a rousing reception. He maintained a neutral stance and didn’t overtly side with any faction. He was broadly taken for a hardliner because of his fiery speeches and anti-British sentiments which he never tried to hide.
The Surat convention duly began on 26th December, 1907. Inspite of being unwilling Bal Gangadhar Tilak proposed the name of Lala Lajpat Rai for presidentship. Lalaji couldn’t proclaim his unwillingness due to his deep respect for Tilak.
Ras Bihari Bose was flooded with letters from the delegates and the people asking him to withdraw his name for the presidentship in favour of Lala Lajpat Rai. Ras Bihari Bose didn’t withdraw. A kind of confrontation became inevitable. The situation took an ugly turn. Even abuses and blows were exchanged between the warring factions. The convention flopped badly on acrimonious note. The party split in two factions.
This factionalism in the Congress broke the heart of Lala Lajpat Rai. He became a sad man. In sheer frustration he withdrew from the active politics and went back to his legal practice. It was not for his own personal gains but a source of money to finance his social reforms and educational projects. Meanwhile, he took part in Municipal elections again. In the capacity of a councillor he worked for the development of industries as his vision was broadening up. Due to his personal efforts many more schools, colleges and other educational institutions came up.
Meanwhile, all efforts to bring the two congress factions failed.
Lala Lajpat Rai suffered as a politically wounded person.
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