Congress Gets New HQ After 47 Years As Sonia Gandhi Inaugurates 'Indira Bhawan' At Kotla Road
The construction of Indira Gandhi Bhawan was started during Sonia Gandhi's tenure as the party chief. It is situated at 9A, Kotla Road, New Delhi.
Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday inaugurated the party's new headquarters 'Indira Gandhi Bhawan' at 9A, Kotla Road in Delhi. This is a historic moment for the party as it has a new office after operating from the 24, Akbar Road premises for the last 47 years. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and general secretaries K C Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were among those present on the occasion.
The party leaders hoisted the party flag at the new headquarters, followed by singing the Vande Mataram and the national anthem. Sonia Gandhi then inaugurated the building, and Kharge joined her in cutting the ribbon at the building's entrance.
Congress party’s new headquarters “Indira Bhawan” has been built on the foundation of Democracy, Nationalism, Secularism, Inclusive Development and Social Justice.
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) January 15, 2025
Symbolising the 140-year-old glorious history of the Indian National Congress, the walls here narrate the great… pic.twitter.com/6rzubN0B3f
A New Office Address For Congress After 47 Years
The construction of Indira Gandhi Bhawan was started during Sonia Gandhi's tenure as the party chief.
The new state-of-the-art AICC headquarters showcases the party's mission to uphold the vision of its stalwarts. "It is time for us to move ahead with the times and embrace the new,” Venugopal had said, news agency PTI reported.
"Situated at 9A, Kotla Road, New Delhi, the Indira Gandhi Bhawan is designed to meet the evolving needs of the party and its leaders, featuring modern facilities to support administrative, organisational, and strategic activities. This iconic building reflects the Congress party's forward-looking vision while paying homage to its extraordinary past, which has shaped the political and social fabric of India," he added.
The grand old party will not vacate its present office at 24, Akbar Road, which has been its headquarters after the Congress (I) was formed in 1978, and it will continue to house some of its cells, PTI reported citing sources.
Ever since the Congress-led government was toppled at the Centre, the construction of the new AICC headquarters was disrupted several times due to "paucity of funds".
Congress old-timers agree that there was a need for a larger area along with modern amenities, but the emotional connection and historic significance associated with the 24, Akbar Road office will stay strong forever.
The party's Akbar Road office was once home to Sir Reginald Maxwell, a member of the executive council of Viceroy Lord Linlithgow. The bungalow was also home to a teen Aung San Suu Kyi back in 1961 when her mother was appointed ambassador to India.
But, the Congress has been its mainstay and the premises set in expansive lawns has witnessed the tenure of seven party presidents till now.
The BJP, too, has also not vacated its old party headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road, despite shifting to its new headquarters at Deendayal Upadhyay Marg.
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