Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the party’s new national headquarters, Indira Gandhi Bhawan, at 9A Kotla Road, New Delhi, on Wednesday. This marks a significant move from the party’s former base at 24 Akbar Road in the Lutyens Bungalow Zone, which served as its headquarters for 47 years.
The new building, named in honor of India’s first woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, is a tribute to the Congress party’s rich legacy, reflecting its commitment to both tradition and modernization.
Over 400 Leaders Join the Grand Inauguration of Indira Gandhi Bhawan
The inauguration ceremony was attended by around 400 leaders from across the country. Key attendees included Congress Working Committee (CWC) members, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Presidents, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) Leaders, and Members of Parliament from both houses.
Senior leaders present at the event included Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, and prominent regional leaders like Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Telangana Congress President Revanth Reddy, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The event began with the hoisting of the Congress flag, accompanied by chants of “Vande Mataram,” symbolizing unity and patriotism.
Supreme Court Mandates Relocation
The move to the new headquarters was necessitated by a Supreme Court directive issued in 2005-06. The court ordered political parties to relocate their offices out of the Lutyens Bungalow Zone. Subsequently, the Union Government designated the area between the ITO traffic junction and Connaught Place, including Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg, for political party offices.
Indira Gandhi Bhawan: A 15-Year Journey
The foundation stone for the Congress’s new headquarters was laid in December 2009 by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. Despite its ambitious start, the project faced delays due to financial constraints, particularly after the Congress lost power at the Centre.
The building’s construction began in November 2016, with an estimated cost of ₹172 crore, and was initially slated for completion by November 2018. However, it took nearly 15 years to finalize.
The five-story building is designed to meet the Congress party’s organizational needs. Offices for senior leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi, are located on the fifth floor. The fourth floor accommodates general secretaries, while the third floor is designated for state in-charges. All-India secretaries and their staff operate from the second floor.
Interestingly, the Congress opted to place the main entrance of its headquarters on Kotla Road rather than DDU Marg, named after Deen Dayal Upadhyay, an ideologue of the Jana Sangh (the BJP’s predecessor). This choice positions the Congress office within walking distance of the BJP’s national headquarters.
The Indira Gandhi Bhawan stands as a symbol of the Congress’s resilience and renewal. Its completion ahead of critical Assembly elections in Delhi underscores the party’s readiness to engage with voters and reclaim its political footing.
A Glance at the BJP’s Modern Office
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) set a precedent by inaugurating its headquarters on DDU Marg in February 2018. Spanning 170,000 square feet, the BJP’s office is the largest political headquarters in the world, built at an estimated cost of ₹700 crore.
In addition to its central office, the BJP has invested heavily in state-level infrastructure, including a new headquarters in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, estimated to cost ₹75-100 crore.
