Following the elections, he became a key advisor to Ayodhya Prasad during the 1943 cane strike as the Kisan Sangh and Maha Sangh vied to support from the farmers. When the Kisan Sangh split into left and right wings, he allied himself with the right wing led by Ayodhya Prasad but had secret meetings with members of the left wing. The split led to the left wing of the Kisan Sangh and Maha Sangh nominating A. D. Patel to run against him in the 1944 elections; Patel won with 77% of the vote.