After Clement Atlee’s declaration, the Cabinet Mission plan of 1946 became defunct. The aim of the United Kingdom’s Cabinet Mission plan of 1946 was to discuss the transfer of power from the British government to the Indian leadership. The purpose of this plan was to preserve India’s unity and grant it independence. 

(leader of Indian National Congress Jawahar Lal Nehru and All India Muslim League leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah with the members of the Cabinet Mission)

The Cabinet Mission plan of 1946 involved the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State for India, President of the Board of Trade, the First Lord of Admiralty, Lord Pethick-Lawrence, A.V. Alexander and Sir Stafford Cripps. Lord Wavell the Viceroy of India was also involved in this plan but did not participate in every process of the plan. However, it was Clement Atlee who initiated the plan. The main purpose of the plan was to preserve India’s unity. The British Empire wanted to keep India and its army united. The role of this plan was to hold discussions with the representatives of the Indian states and the elected representatives of British India. The purpose of the discussion was to frame the constitution, setting up a constitution body and setting up an Executive Council. 

The Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League were the two main political parties in the Constituent Assembly of India. The Cabinet Mission held talks with the two parties. The Indian National Congress wanted more powers than the state governments while the Muslims in the All India Muslim League believed that if the power goes into the hands of Indian National Congress the country will be transformed into a Hindu state and the Muslims will have to struggle for survival in the Hindu dominated country. Thus the Muslims in the All India Muslim League demanded a separate state for Muslims which the Cabinet Mission rejected. 

After the talks with both the political parties, the Cabinet Mission revised its plan but both the political parties rejected it and eventually, the Cabinet Mission collapsed and the country was divided into two separate nations.