Indian National Congress

This is a big group in India. They started a long time ago.

A man named Hume had an idea. He wanted to help India. The group met in a place called Bombay. Many people came to the first meeting.

Later, a leader named Gandhi joined them. He helped India become free.

This was a very big change.

Many leaders led the group. One leader was named Nehru.

He was the first prime minister.

The group still works in India today. They help people in many ways.

The Indian National Congress is a major political party in India. It is the oldest party in the country. A man named Allan Octavian Hume helped start it. He wanted to help educated Indians have a voice. The first meeting was in Bombay in 1885.

At first, the party had two main groups. Moderates wanted peaceful changes. Extremists wanted a stronger push for freedom. Later, Mahatma Gandhi led the party. He helped lead the movement for independence.

After India became free in 1947, the party grew very strong. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first prime minister.

He helped set up new plans for the nation. Other leaders like Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh also led the party.

The party has had many splits and changes over the years. Today, it works to support rights like health and education. Mallikarjun Kharge is the current leader of the party.

The Indian National Congress is a very important political party in India.

It is the oldest political party currently in the country. This group is often called a "big tent" party. This means it includes many different kinds of people and ideas. The party sits near the center of Indian politics. It works to support things like health, education, and civil liberty.

The party also wants to help people through a strong welfare state. It aims to give everyone equal opportunities in life.

The party works through many different levels and groups. The smallest unit is called the district party. There are also state-level groups called Pradesh Congress Committees.

All these groups come together to form the All India Congress Committee. The party also has special groups for different people. For example, the Indian Youth Congress works with young people. There is also the National Students' Union of India.

These groups help the party reach many different citizens.

The story of the Congress began a long time ago. A retired British official named Allan Octavian Hume helped start it. He wanted educated Indians to have a voice in their government. The very first meeting happened in Bombay in December 1885. This meeting took place at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College. There were 72 delegates at this first session. Most of them were lawyers from different parts of India. Interestingly, there were no women at this first meeting.

History shows the party has changed a lot over the years.

In the early days, leaders were split into two groups. The Moderates wanted peaceful changes within the British system. The Extremists wanted a much stronger push for freedom. Later, Mahatma Gandhi became a very famous leader for the party.

He led the movement that helped India gain independence in 1947. After that, Jawaharlal Nehru became the first prime minister.

He led the country for many years starting in 1947.

The party has seen many different leaders since India became free.

Indira Gandhi was one famous leader who led the party. Later, Manmohan Singh served as prime minister from 2004 to 2014. The party has won many elections over the decades. It has led the central government for more than 54 years. Today, Mallikarjun Kharge is the president of the party.

The party continues to be a major part of Indian life.

The Indian National Congress, often called the Congress Party, is a major political organization in India.

It is the oldest existing political party in the country. The party is described as a "big tent" organization. This means it brings together many different groups and ideas under one roof. Politically, it is considered a centrist party. It occupies the middle of the Indian political spectrum. The party focuses on secularism, which means treating all religions equally. It also supports egalitarianism, or the idea that all people are equal.

The party operates through a complex hierarchy of different levels. The smallest functional unit is the district party. Above the districts are the Pradesh Congress Committees, or PCCs. These committees exist at the state level in every Indian state. All these delegates eventually form the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

To reach different parts of society, the party uses specialized segments. These include the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI). It also has the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) for workers. The party holds annual plenary sessions to discuss and promote its policies.

The history of the Congress began in the late 1870s. During this time, Indians sought a way to influence the British Raj. In 1883, Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British Civil Servant, proposed a new idea. He wanted a platform for educated Indians to engage in political dialogue. This led to the first session of the Indian National Congress. It was held in Bombay from December 28 to 31, 1885. The meeting took place at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College. There were 72 delegates present, mostly lawyers from various provinces. Notably, no women attended this first historic session. W.C. Bonnerjee served as the first president of the group.

In its early years, the party was led by a group called the Moderates. These leaders, such as Dadabhai Naoroji and Gopal Krishna Gokhale, favored a constitutional approach.

They wanted to work within the British system to achieve reforms. They used petitions and dialogue to address Indian grievances. They also developed the "Drain Theory" to explain economic issues. This theory argued that British rule was draining India's resources. By 1905, a divide appeared between the Moderates and the Extremists. The Extremists, led by figures like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, wanted a more assertive strategy for self-rule.

The movement changed significantly under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.

After 1920, the Congress became the main leader of the Indian independence movement. This push for freedom eventually led to independence from the United Kingdom in 1947.

Following independence, the party dominated Indian politics for 50 years. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India.

He introduced socialist policies like the Five-Year Plans. He also helped establish a mixed economy and a secular state. Other notable leaders included Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi.

During her leadership, the party faced a major split in 1969.

The party has experienced many shifts in power and leadership since 1947. It has won an outright majority in seven of the 17 general elections. It has led the central government for more than 54 years.

After the leadership of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi led the party to a massive victory in 1984. Later, P. V. Narasimha Rao moved the party toward economic liberalization.

In 2004, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was formed under Manmohan Singh. Singh was the first leader since 1971 to be re-elected after a full term.

In recent years, the party has faced new political challenges. Since the 1990s, the Bharatiya Janata Party has become its main rival. The Congress saw a heavy defeat in 2014 under Rahul Gandhi.

It won only 44 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. In 2019, it won 52 seats. However, the party performed better in the 2024 election. It won 99 seats and became the official opposition.

This was its highest seat count in a decade. Today, Mallikarjun Kharge serves as the party president. The party continues to advocate for social market economies and a strong welfare state.