Indian National Congress

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.