A timeline of Congress history

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The Foundation Years

• Demand for equitable government through administrative reforms • Concern for the removal of poverty • Resolutions deploring: The growing impoverishment of the people; The wealth of the country being drained away; The condition of the ryots steadily deteriorating since 1848 – nearly 40 million people having only one meal a day and sometimes not even that.

• Annual sessions of the Congress party held in different venues every year. • Provincial conferences organised to foster countrywide involvement. • Concrete steps taken to organise public opinion in Great Britian in favour of the Indian viewpoint. • Thrust on seeking representation in government. • Madan Mohan Malaviya – ‘No taxation without representation’.

Events

Sessions

Venues

Presidents

 

1885

Bombay

W.C. Bonnerjee

 

1886

Calcutta

Dadabhai Naoroji

 

1887

Madras

Badruddin Tyabji

 

1888

Allahabad

George Yule

July 1889: Formation of British Committee of the Indian National Congress with offices in London to put pressure on Parliament in Great Britain.

1889

Bombay

Sir William Wedderburn

 

1890

Calcutta

Sir Pherozeshah Mehta

 

1891

Nagpur

P. Ananda Charlu

1892: Dadabhai Naoroji elected to British Parliament.

1892

Allahabad

W.C. Bonnerjee

India Councils Act a major victory for Congress, but it still did not envisage elected representation.

1893

Lahore

Dadabhai Naoroji

 

1894

Madras

Alfred Webb

Consolidation and Beyond

• Demand for fiscal responsibility • Demand for Indianisation of services • Protest against economic emasculation • Government insensitive to natural disasters – famine, plague, floods • Lokmanya Tilak works for the famine affected populace of Pune – accused of inciting violence by his writings in ‘Kesari’ – imprisoned • The Curzon Vice Royalty – many repressive measures • Sedition Act curbing the elementary liberties of the people • Official Secrets Act with burden of proof of innocence shifted onto the accused • Protest against proposed Partition of Bengal along communal lines.

 

1895

Pune

Surendranath Bannerjee

1896: Resolution blaming the British for creating famines.

1896

Calcutta

Rahimtulla M. Sayani

 

1897

Amravati

C. Sankaran Nair

 

1898

Madras

Ananda Mohan Bose

1899: First party constitution framed.

1899

Lucknow

Romesh Chander Dutta

1900: British reaction to growing Congress movement – curb availability of education to Indians; universities act seeks to limit spread of English education.

1900

Lahore

N.G. Chandavarkar

1901: Mahatma Gandhi appears on the Congress platform for the first time seeking support for the struggle in South Africa.

1901

Calcutta

Sir Dinshaw Eduljee Wacha

 

1902

Ahmedabad

Surendranath Bannerjee

 

1903

Madras

Lalmohan Ghosh

 

1904

Bombay

Sir Henry Cotton

Demand for Self-government

• Reaction to the Curzon regime • Widespread protests against the Partition of Bengal, blatantly promoted by Lord Curzon as the creation of a Muslim enclave • Confrontation between the moderates in the Congress seeking change through constitutional means and peaceful agitation and the extremist younger elements seeking change through violence if necessary.

 

1905

Benaras

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

1906: Demand for Swaraj, boycott of British goods.

1906

Calcutta

Dadabhai Naoroji

1907: First split in Congress between moderates and extremists – the moderates retain control of the organisation.

1907

Surat

Rashbihari Ghosh

 

1908

Madras

Rashbihari Ghosh

1909: Minto-Morley reforms creating the India Councils gave representation, but also gave inpetus to the virus of communalism by providing for separate electorates.

1909: First signs of strain in Hindu-Muslim relations.

1909

Lahore

Madan Mohan Malaviya

 

1910

Allahabad

Sir William Wedderburn

1911: The Partition of Bengal is annulled.

1911

Calcutta

Bishan Narayan Dar

 

1912

Bankipur

R.N. Mudholkar

 

1913

Karachi

Nawab Syed Mohd. Bahadur

 

1914

Madras

Bhupendra Nath Bose

The Foundations of Independent India

• The Home Rule movement • The advent of Gandhi • The Khilafat movement • The Non-cooperation movement.

 

1915

Bombay

Lord S.P. Sinha

1916: Lucknow Pact between the Congress and the Muslim League.

1916

Lucknow

Ambica Charan Mazumdar

1917: Proposal for a Congress flag (later to become the national tricolour).

1917: Principle of linguisitic division accepted – foundation for the eventual creation of states by linguistic identity.

1917: Gandhiji introduces satyagraha as a potent weapon of political protest in Champaran.

1917

Calcutta

Annie Besant

1918: Satyagraha in Gujarat successful.

1918

Bombay

Syed Hasan Imam

 

1918

Delhi

Madan Mohan Malaviya

1919: Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

1919

Amritsar

Motilal Nehru

1920: Khilafat movement.

1920

Calcutta

Lala Lajpat Rai

1920: Gandhiji tours the country to organise the Non-cooperation movement.

1920: The Congress becomes a mass movement.

1920: The country united under Mahatma Gandhi.

1920

Nagpur

C. Vijayaraghavachariar

 

1921

Ahmedabad

Hakim Ajmal Khan

1922: Gandhiji arrested.

1922

Gaya

Deshbandhu C.R. Das

 

1923

Kakinada

Maulana Mohd. Ali

 

1923

Delhi

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

1924: Gandhiji’s 21 day fast against communal disturbances.

1924

Belgaum

Mahatma Gandhi

The Demand for Complete Independence

• Gandhi-Irwin Pact • Definition of fundamental rights.

1925: Adoption of Hindi as the official language for the AICC sessions.

1925

Kanpur

Sarojini Naidu

1926: Announcement of Simon Commission for proposing constitutional reforms for India.

1926

Gauhati

S. Srinivasa Iyengar

1927: Resolution boycotting the Simon Commission.

1927

Madras

Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari

1928: Successful all-India hartal on arrival of Simon Commission.

1928: All party committee appointed under Motilal Nehru to draft a constitution for independent India.

1928: Bardoli satyagraha successful under Sardar Patel.

1928

Calcutta

Motilal Nehru

1929: Irwin-Gandhi talks.

1929

Lahore

Jawaharlal Nehru

1929: Resolution demanding complete independence.

     

1930: Adoption of 26 January as ‘purna swaraj day’.

1930: Call for civil disobedience.

1930: Salt satyagraha – Dandi march.

1930: All major Congress leaders arrested.

1930: AICC Working Committee declared unlawful body.

1930: Congress opposition to Round Table conference.

1930

   

1931: Fundamental rights defined.

1931: AICC Working Committee members released – Congress invited by Viceroy to join deliberations for the future of India.

1931: Gandhi authorised to negotiate on behalf of the Congress.

1931: Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

1931-32: Repression by the British and resumption of the struggle. Gandhiji arrested.

1931

Karachi

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

1932: Poona agreement guaranteeing reserved seats for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

1932

Delhi

Madan Mohan Malaviya

1933: Gandhiji on fast for 21 days for the cause of the Harijans.

1933

Calcutta

Nellie Sengupta

1934: Gandhiji withdraws from the Congress.

1934: Congress constitution amended to make non-violence and khadi its fundamental creeds.

1934

Bombay

Rajendra Prasad

The Final Stage

• The demand for immediate freedom • Mass satyagraha

1935: The Government of India Act.

1935: Gandhiji decides to concentrate on social reform.

1935: Congress condemns the new Constitution but decides to contest elections.

1935

Lucknow

Jawaharlal Nehru

1936: Nehru’s presidential address condemns fascism.

1936

Faizpur

Jawaharlal Nehru

1937: Congress wins elections in 5 out of 9 provinces.

1937

   
 

1938

Haripura

Subhas Chandra Bose

1939: Resignation of Congress ministries and withdrawal from the legislative process.

1939: Demand for a constituent assembly to be elected by universal franchise.

1939

Tripura

Subhas Chandra Bose

1940: Non-cooperation in the war effort.

1940: Call for a national government.

1940

Ramgarh

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

 

1941

   

1942: 9 August 1942 Quit India Resolution.

1942: Mass arrests leading to All-India public protests.

1942

   

1943-44: Allied victories in the War leading to intransigent British position.

1943-44: Gandhiji and Congress leaders released from prison but British refuse to negotiate.

1943

   

1943-44: Jinnah adamant on Partition.

1944

   

1945: Simla conference fails.

1945

   

1946: INA trials.

1946: Naval mutiny.

1946: Cabinet Mission to decide fate of India.

1946: Congress wins an overwhelming majority in elections to the Constitutional Assembly.

1946: Muslim League decides to withdraw and press for the creation of Pakistan, 16 August chosen as direct action day.

1946: Violence in Bengal – 6000 killed.

1946: Congress and Muslim League join interim government.

1946: Jinnah still adamant.

1946

Meerut

Acharya J.B. Kripalani

1947: Partition and Independence.

1947

   

After Freedom

• Communal frenzy • 30 January 1948 – Martyrdom of Mahatama Gandhi • Integration of the princely states • Creation of the Republic • First general elections • The establishment of real democracy • The Congress message enunciated by Jawaharlal Nehru – ‘Political freedom having been attained through non-violent action under the leadership of Gandhi, the National Congress now has to labour for the attainment of social and economic freedom so that progress and equal opportunity may come to all the people of India without any distinction of race or religion.’

30 January 1948: Mahatma Gandhi assassinated.

1948

Jaipur

Pattabhi Sitaramayya

 

1950

Nasik

Purshottam Das Tandon

 

1951

New Delhi

Jawaharlal Nehru

 

1953

Hyderabad

Jawaharlal Nehru

 

1954

Kalyani

Jawaharlal Nehru

Towards Socialism

1955: Resolution seeking to introduce planning for a socialistic pattern of society.

1955

Avadi

U.N. Dhebar

1955: Concept of economic and social reconstruction.

     
 

1956

Amritsar

U.N. Dhebar

 

1957

Indore

U.N. Dhebar

 

1959

Nagpur

U.N. Dhebar

 

1960

Bangalore

Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy

 

1961

Bhavnagar

Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy

 

1962

Patna

Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy

1964: Demise of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

1964

Bhubaneshwar

K. Kamaraj

The Advent of Indira Gandhi

1965: Demise of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

1965: Indira Gandhi chosen as prime minister.

1965

Durgapur

K. Kamaraj

 

1966

Jaipur

K. Kamaraj

 

1968

Hyderabad

S. Nijalingappa

1969: Bank nationalisation.

1969: Abolition of the Privy purses.

1969: Split in Congress over the election of the President of India.

1969

Faridabad

S. Nijalingappa

 

1969

Bombay

Jagjivan Ram

1971: Mid-term poll swept by Indira Gandhi.

1971

   

1972: Congress gets massive victories in state elections.

1972

Calcutta

Shankar Dayal Sharma

1975: Imposition of Emergency.

1975

Chandigarh

Dev Kant Borooah

1977: Loss in general elections.

1977: Congress for democracy splits the party.

1977

   

1978: Split in Congress.

1978: Indira Gandhi sweeps state elections in Andhra and Karnataka.

1978

New Delhi

Indira Gandhi

1980: Indira Gandhi sweeps back to power with over 300 seats in the Lok Sabha.

1980

   
 

1983

Calcutta

Indira Gandhi

31 October 1984: Indira Gandhi assassinated.

1984

   

Towards the Twenty First Century

• 1984 Rajiv Gandhi leads the Congress to an unprecedented victory winning 401 seats in the Lok Sabha • First steps taken towards changing the political and economic climate in the country • Attempt to solve long pending disputes: * Mizo Accord *Assam Accord * Punjab Accord * Historic visit to China

 

1985

Bombay

Rajiv Gandhi

1989: Congress largest single party with 197 seats. Rajiv Gandhi chooses to sit in opposition because he did not get a clear mandate.

1989

   

Reforming the Economy

1991: Rajiv Gandhi assassinated while campaigning during Lok Sabha elections.

1991: Congress comes to power after the death of Rajiv Gandhi.

1991: P.V. Narasimha Rao chosen as prime minister.

1991: Manmohan Singh as finance minister takes first steps towards opening up the economy and making it globally competitive.

1991

   
 

1992

Tirupati

P.V. Narasimha Rao

1996: Congress loses general elections.

1996: P.V. Narasimha Rao resigns from presidentship of party.

1996

   
 

1997

Calcutta

Sitaram Kesri

The Road to Recovery

14 March 1998: Sonia Gandhi takes over as Congress President.

1998: Congress wins state election and forms governments in Mahdya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.

1998

   

1999: Congress wins state elections and forms governments in Goa, Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh.

1999

   

2000: Congress wins state elections and forms governments in Assam, Kerala and Pondicherry.

2000

   

2001: Congress wins state elections and forms governments in Punjab, Uttaranchal and J&K.

2001

Bangalore

Sonia Gandhi

2003: Congress wins state elections and forms governments in Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.

2003

   

 

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