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Why did Jawaharlal Nehru become president of the Indian National Congress in 1929?

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Jawaharlal Nehru, c. 1930s — Jawaharlal Nehru As India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru was in office for more than 16 years, making him the country's longest-serving prime minister.

Mahatma Gandhi strategically elevated Jawaharlal Nehru to the presidency of the Indian National Congress in 1929 for two primary reasons.1

First, Gandhi hoped that Nehru’s leadership would successfully draw India’s youth—who were increasingly gravitating toward extreme leftist causes—into the mainstream of the Congress movement. Second, Gandhi calculated that by placing the responsibility of the presidency on Nehru, the younger leader would be encouraged to maintain a moderate, "middle way" approach to politics.1

Nehru’s selection also served to bypass some of his seniors, and his personal background—including his Brahmin birth and family fortune—helped mitigate concerns from more conservative members of the party leadership regarding his radical brilliance and socialist leanings. Under his presidency, the Congress passed the Purna Swaraj resolution, which demanded complete independence from British rule.23