Structure of Indian National Congress

First Online: June 24, 2005
Page Last Updated: November 16, 2024

The Nagpur convention of Congress (year 1920) adapted an organization structure for operation of Congress. The structure was as follows.

President of Congress To be chosen each year from nominations made by Provincial Congress Committees
	Working Committee
Congress Session Presidents and delegates Provincial Congress Committees	All India Congress Committee (AICC) 350 Members elected by the Provincial Congress Committees
Provincial Congress Committees 21 members based on linguistic divisions of India
District Congress Committees and Taluka Congress Committees
Four Anna Membership One pays a quarter of a Ruppee and signs up

It was a wise (although the linguistic representation may be debated), democratic structure for the size and nature of the organization, and allowed for blossoming of leadership.

However, Indira Gandhi brought upon Congress, an autocratic leadership and a cult following. During her time, internal elections were not held, and the secondary leadership did not develop.

Over the decades, the Congress has split, merged and this hierarchy has disappeared, mostly controlled by the charismatic presidents -- most typically a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

See Also:

• Charity Personified -- Biography of eminent congressman Karnad Sadashiva Rao (1881-1936)
• Tryst with Destiny -- The story of India's struggle for freedom remains as a guiding light for resolving the various conflicts around the globe
• Multimedia Mahatma -- Memorabilia, biography, excerpts from autobiography, photo archive and links; includes an interactive Ask Gandhi section
• Research Bibliography on "Congress"