ular ▁party , ▁was ▁formed ▁to ▁represent ▁the ▁interests ▁of ▁P un j ab ' s ▁large ▁fe ud al ▁classes ▁and ▁gent ry . ▁Sir ▁S ik and ar ▁Hy at ▁Khan , ▁Sir ▁F az li ▁Hus ain , ▁Ch aud h ry ▁Sir ▁Shah ab - ud - D in , ▁and ▁Sir ▁Ch hot u ▁Ram ▁were ▁the ▁co - found ers ▁of ▁the ▁party . ▁Although ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁Union ists ▁were ▁Muslim s , ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁H ind us ▁and ▁S ik hs ▁also ▁supported ▁and ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁Union ist ▁Party . ▁ ▁In ▁contrast ▁with ▁the ▁Indian ▁National ▁Congress ▁and ▁many ▁other ▁parties ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁Union ist ▁Party ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁mass - based ▁approach . ▁Also , ▁in ▁contrast ▁with ▁the ▁Indian ▁National ▁Congress ▁and ▁the ▁Muslim ▁League , ▁the ▁Union ists ▁supported ▁the ▁British ▁Raj , ▁and ▁cont ested ▁elections ▁for ▁the ▁P un j ab ▁Legisl ative ▁Council ▁and ▁the ▁central ▁Legisl ative ▁Council ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁the ▁Congress ▁and ▁the ▁Muslim ▁League ▁were ▁boy cot ting ▁them . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁Union ist ▁Party ▁domin ated ▁the ▁provincial ▁legisl ature ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁years , ▁allowing ▁an ▁elected ▁provincial ▁government ▁to ▁function ▁when ▁other ▁provinces ▁were ▁govern ed ▁by ▁direct ▁rule . ▁ ▁Rel ations ▁with ▁other ▁political ▁parties ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁Indian ▁provincial ▁elections , ▁the ▁Union ist ▁Party ▁sound ly ▁defeated ▁the ▁Muslim ▁League