Stanley assumed the governorate at a critical juncture. The Great Depression had just begun and the economy was deteriorating. The Premier P. Subbarayan resigned after the 1930 elections when his party was voted out. The Swaraj Party boycotted the elections as a part of the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Justice Party was voted to power in the 1930 and 1934 elections. B. Munuswamy Naidu served as Premier from 1930 to 1932 but he had to resign in 1932 due to the strong opposition of landowning elements in the party. Naidu was succeeded by Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili whose administration soon became notorious for mis-governance.