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Why did Subhas Chandra Bose resign as president of the Indian National Congress in 1939?

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Mahatma Gandhi, holding a walking stick, walks beside Sarojini Naidu during the Salt March protest in 1930, with several men following behind them. — Indian National Congress Indian National Congress leaders Mahatma Gandhi (left) and Sarojini Naidu (right) on the Salt March in western India, March 1930.

Subhas Chandra Bose resigned as president of the Indian National Congress in 1939 primarily due to intense political friction between his faction and that of Mahatma Gandhi.1

While Bose was reelected as president in 1939 after defeating Gandhi’s favored candidate, Pattabhi Sitaramayya, his leadership faced significant opposition from Gandhi and the majority of the party’s central working committee. This conflict was rooted in fundamental differences regarding the strategy for achieving independence:12

Ideological Differences: Bose advocated for a more aggressive, revolutionary approach to ending British rule, whereas Gandhi remained committed to nonviolent methods.1
Economic Policy: Bose promoted broad industrialization through a national planning committee, which conflicted with Gandhi’s economic philosophy that emphasized self-sufficiency and reliance on cottage industries.1

Following the peak of these tensions, Bose resigned from the presidency in April 1939. He subsequently founded the Forward Bloc in an attempt to rally radical elements within the nationalist movement.12