 In February 1946 , the British Cabinet resolved to send a delegation to India to negotiate with leaders there . This Cabinet Mission included Cripps and Pethick @-@ Lawrence . The highest @-@ level delegation to try to break the deadlock , it arrived in New Delhi in late March . Little negotiation had been done since the previous October because of the elections in India . The British in May released a plan for a united Indian state comprising substantially autonomous provinces , and called for " groups " of provinces formed on the basis of religion . Matters such as defence , external relations and communications would be handled by a central authority . Provinces would have the option of leaving the union entirely , and there would be an interim government with representation from the Congress and the League . Jinnah and his Working Committee accepted this plan in June , but it fell apart over the question of how many members of the interim government the Congress and the League would have , and over the Congress 's desire to include a Muslim member in its representation . Before leaving India , the British ministers stated that they intended to inaugurate an interim government even if one of the major groups was unwilling to participate . 
