Congress gets notice to vacate 24 Akbar Road office completely by March 28: Report
The Congress party has been ordered to vacate its long-standing headquarters at 24 Akbar Road by March 28, marking the end of an era. This follows the relocation of its national office to Indira Bhawan, a move rooted in its historical journey since 1978.
THE Estate Department on Wednesday issued a notice to the Congress party, directing them to vacate their office at 24 Akbar Road by March 28, according to sources quoted by news agency ANI.
The Akbar Road bungalow served as the Congress party's headquarters for about five decades. The Congress party, however, moved its national headquarters at 24 Akbar Road in New Delhi to a new address – Indira Bhawan at 9A, Kotla Road – on Wednesday, 15 January, last year.
But the Akbar Road premises have yet to be vacated, with party activities still taking place there.
The new AICC headquarters is named after Indira Gandhi, India’s first woman Prime Minister. It symbolises the Congress party’s continuing mission to uphold the vision of its stalwarts, the party said.
24, Akbar Road – the history
The Congress, led by Indira Gandhi, moved into the 24, Akbar Road office in 1978 when the party was out of power for the first time since Independence.
At that time, Indira Gandhi was defeated in the Lok Sabha elections after the Emergency. The Congress had also split, and the Indira group did not have an office. The then MP from Andhra Pradesh, Gaddam Venkatswamy, offered his official residence — 24, Akbar Road — to the party.
Although 24, Akbar Road, started out as a temporary arrangement, the Congress stayed on.
Before that, the Congress party’s office since independence was 7 Jantar Mantar Road. The party moved first to 5 Rajendra Prasad Road in 1971 and then to 24 Akbar Road in 1978.
2015 Vacating Notice
In 2015, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government cancelled the allotment of four bungalows given to the Congress party — including 24 Akbar Road — after it failed to meet its deadline to move into a new location.
Apart from its headquarters, the other three bungalows that the Congress was asked to vacate are 26 Akbar Road, housing the frontal wing Sewa Dal, the Youth Congress office at 5, Raisina Road; and C-II/109 Chanakyapuri, allotted to Vincent George, a close aide of Sonia Gandhi.
