New Delhi: The government has asked the main opposition Congress to vacate its 24, Akbar Road office by Saturday, along with the Indian Youth Congress office at 5, Raisina Road, Congress sources said. The Akbar Road bungalow was the Congress’s headquarters for 48 years.
According to party sources, the Congress is considering legal options to get some relief in the matter. Although the party inaugurated its new headquarters, Indira Bhavan, last year, it has continued to operate from the older premises.
According to party sources, the notices were received recently, leaving limited time to respond. Congress leaders indicated they were exploring legal options and may approach the court to seek relief or delay any eviction.
One proposal under discussion is to have the bungalow allotted in the name of a senior Rajya Sabha member, which could allow continued use. This would require quick legal and political steps before the deadline.
Party functionaries said the Congress had been paying market rent for the Akbar Road bungalow. They also said attempts were made after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to have the property allotted to a senior MP, but these did not succeed.
The Akbar Road address boasts profound historical value, bridging colonial legacy to modern Indian politics. Colonial records show it once quartered Sir Reginald Maxwell of Lord Linlithgow’s Executive Council.
In the early 1960s, it was the residence of Daw Khin Kyi, Myanmar’s ambassador to India. Her daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, spent part of her early years there.
Congress ties with Akbar Road address deepened in the late 1970s after the party’s post-1977 poll split. Indira Gandhi used the Bungalow as her faction’s nerve centre, sparking revival. It remained the party’s official HQ through Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, and Manmohan Singh eras.
