AHMEDABAD: Breaking a 64-year gap, the Indian National Congress will hold its All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on April 8 to 9, 2025. The last such session in the state was held in Bhavnagar in 1961.
With party representatives from across the country gathering, the meeting is set to focus on what Congress calls the "continuous attacks" on the Constitution and its values, as well as the BJP's "anti-people policies." The session is expected to shape the party’s future course of action.
The Congress, however, has been struggling in Gujarat, facing repeated electoral setbacks. Its poor performance in the recent municipal elections underscores the challenge it faces in the state. Against this backdrop, the upcoming session signals an early push for revival as the party gears up for Mission-2027.
Talking to reporters at the Gujarat Congress office on Monday, state Congress President Shakti Singh Gohil said, "The 51st session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) was held in Gujarat from February 19 to 22, 1938, at Haripura near Bardoli. Sardar Patel pushed for this session, At that time, the election of the Congress National President was also held in that session, where Subhas Chandra Bose was elected Congress President."
Recalling the historic convention, Gohil noted, "At Haripura, long before independence, Congress reaffirmed the “Purna Swaraj” declaration. Bose outlined a blueprint for a Planning Commission—an idea that took shape 12 years later under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after independence."
"The second AICC session in Gujarat took place in Bhavnagar in 1961 under Neelam Sanjiva Reddy’s leadership," Gohil said, highlighting the gap between major Congress gatherings in the state.
Expressing gratitude, he concluded, "After 1961, Gujarat will once again host the AICC session in 2025. I thank the Congress high command for this opportunity."
The Congress announced that the session will kick off on April 8 with an expanded CWC meeting, setting the stage for high-stakes discussions. The momentum will carry into April 9 with an AICC delegates’ meet, both helmed by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Powerhouses like Sonia Gandhi, who leads the Congress Parliamentary Party, and Rahul Gandhi, the Lok Sabha’s Opposition leader, will join the deliberations. Adding weight to the gathering, Congress Chief Ministers, national office bearers, senior leaders, and AICC delegates will be in attendance, shaping the party’s next moves.
After the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi landed in Gujarat, firing up Congress workers in July. He declared that just as BJP fell in Ayodhya, Gujarat would be next. Top Congress leaders are now flocking to the state, amplifying the heat. Party insiders reveal Rahul had thrown down this challenge last year, vowing in Parliament, “Write it down, we’ll defeat you in Gujarat.” The opposition’s INDIA bloc is gearing up to make that promise a reality.
Gujarat, the turf of PM Modi and Amit Shah, turns every election into a high-stakes battle. For Congress, breaking BJP’s grip here is key to its revival. The party is set to chart a two-year roadmap within months. History, however, is brutal—Congress has faced defeat in all seven assembly elections since 1995 and suffered total wipeouts in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. A lone Lok Sabha seat in 2024 offers a small foothold, but the road ahead remains steep.