Congress Faces Deadline to Vacate Historic Akbar Road Headquarters by March 28

New Delhi: The Indian National Congress has reportedly received a formal notice from the government directing it to vacate its long-standing party office at 24, Akbar Road by Saturday, March 28, according to sources within the party.

The Akbar Road bungalow served as the Congress headquarters for nearly 48 years. Last year, the main opposition party inaugurated its new headquarters, Indira Bhavan, at Kotla Marg in the national capital. Despite the shift, party activities have continued at the Akbar Road premises, which have not yet been handed over.

Sources added that the Congress has also been asked to vacate the Indian Youth Congress office located at 5, Raisina Road. Party leaders are said to be exploring legal options to seek relief in the matter.

The development comes more than a year after Sonia Gandhi formally inaugurated the new Indira Bhavan headquarters. At the time, several senior Congress veterans expressed that their emotional attachment to the historic 24, Akbar Road office would remain strong even after the relocation.

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The Akbar Road bungalow carries significant political and historical significance. During the British Raj, it once housed Sir Reginald Maxwell, a member of Viceroy Lord Linlithgow’s Executive Council. In the early 1960s, it served as the residence of Daw Khin Kyi, Myanmar’s Ambassador to India. Her daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi — who later received the Nobel Peace Prize — spent several years living in the house.

The bungalow’s most prominent chapter in Indian politics began in the late 1970s. After the Congress suffered a major defeat in the 1977 general elections and the party split, Indira Gandhi’s breakaway faction needed a new base. Rajya Sabha MP G Venkatswamy, a loyalist, offered his Akbar Road bungalow. From there, the party staged a strong comeback. The premises remained the Congress headquarters throughout the tenures of Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao, and Dr. Manmohan Singh. Over time, the building was expanded to accommodate growing requirements before the party eventually secured a new address at Indira Bhavan.