The Indian government has recently issued eviction notices to the Congress party, directing it to vacate its longstanding office premises located at 24 Akbar Road, as well as the headquarters of the Indian Youth Congress at 5 Raisina Road, by March 28. These notices, dated March 13, were received by Congress leaders only recently, prompting the party to consider legal action to challenge the eviction orders.
This development is rooted in a policy formulated by the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in 2006. The policy was created to regulate the allotment of government land to national political parties for building their own offices. According to this policy, political parties that accept such land allotments are required to vacate any previously allotted government bungalows or premises within three years from the date they take possession of the new land.
The Congress party was allotted a plot on Deendayal Upadhyay Marg and began construction on this site in 2009. The new building, named Indira Bhawan, was completed and inaugurated in 2025 to serve as the party’s official headquarters. However, despite this move, Congress has continued to occupy its older premises at 24 Akbar Road — which has served as its headquarters since 1978 — and at 5 Raisina Road, the Indian Youth Congress headquarters.
According to records obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the Directorate of Estates under MoHUA, the allotment of three government bungalows to Congress—located at 5 Raisina Road, 24 Akbar Road, and 26 Akbar Road—was officially cancelled on June 26, 2013. Following this cancellation, Congress vacated the 26 Akbar Road property, which housed the office of the Seva Dal, the party’s grassroots volunteer organization. However, the party has retained possession of the other two premises until now.
The situation is not unique to the Congress party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had also retained its office at 11 Ashoka Road for several years after the cancellation of its allotment on August 20, 2017. The BJP constructed a new office on Deendayal Upadhyay Marg and shifted there in 2018. Despite this, the party held on to the Ashoka Road premises until 2024, after which the premises were allotted to a BJP Member of Parliament.
The 2006 L&DO policy clearly states the responsibilities of political parties regarding government properties. It applies not only to all Election Commission-recognised national parties but also to state parties that have at least seven Members of Parliament across both Houses. The policy mandates that if a party is occupying government bungalows or suites for office purposes, it must vacate these premises immediately upon construction of its new office building on the allotted plot or within three years of taking possession of the plot, whichever is earlier.
Moreover, the policy outlines financial terms, requiring parties to pay a premium and annual ground rent for the leased land. The lease does not allow for conversion to freehold ownership. Non-compliance with payment terms or other conditions can result in cancellation or rescinding of the allotment.
Government sources have indicated that the continued occupation of these government bungalows by both Congress and BJP constitutes a violation of the 2006 policy. The issue gained prominence in 2022 when the then Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, stated that all political parties would have to vacate government bungalows if they had been allotted land for building their offices. He confirmed that eviction processes were underway and would affect all parties in similar situations.
The eviction notices sent to Congress come against this backdrop of enforcing the policy uniformly across political parties. The government appears determined to regain control of these prime government properties, which have historically been occupied by major political parties but are now being reclaimed in accordance with established rules.
For Congress, the eviction from 24 Akbar Road and 5 Raisina Road represents not just the loss of physical office space but also a significant shift given the historical importance of these locations. The Akbar Road office, in particular, has been the nerve center of the party’s operations since 1978, serving as a symbol of its political legacy. Moving fully into the new Indira Bhawan headquarters is part of the party’s transition in line with the government’s directives.