Jawaharlal Nehru was in a congress.
Jawaharlal Nehru ( [ ˈneɪruː , _ ˈnɛruː ] [ ˈdʒəʋaːɦərˈlaːl ˈneːɦru ] ; 14 November 1889 -- 27 May 1964 ) was the first Prime Minister of India and a central figure in Indian politics before and after independence . He became the prominent leader of the left-wing factions of the Indian National Congress during the 1920s , and eventually of the entire Congress , with the tacit approval of his mentor , Gandhi .