The office was created under the
Government of India Act 1935. The
Unionist Party was the principal legislative force in the province. It received support from legislators of the
Punjab Muslim League, the
Indian National Congress and the
Sikh Akali Dal at various periods. The Unionist government implemented
agrarian reforms in Punjab by using legal and administrative measures to relieve farmers and peasants of crippling debt. Similar steps were taken by the
Prime Minister of Bengal. The Unionists opposed the
Quit India movement and supported the
Allies during
World War II. The Unionists were constitutionalists who favored cooperation with the British to achieve independence from the Raj. The Unionists signed the
Lucknow Pact with the
All India Muslim League (AIML) in 1937. The Punjab premier supported the drafting of the
Lahore Resolution in 1940. In 1941, the premiers of Punjab and Bengal joined the Viceroy's defence council against the wishes of the AIML. The second Punjab premier joined the Paris Peace Conference in 1946. ==Premiers of the Punjab (1937-1947)==