After a gap of almost 58 years, Gandhi Bhavan, the Congress party headquarters, is going back to the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee.
The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee will function from a swanky multi-storied Indira Bhavan building on the Gandhi Bhavan premises from Saturday.
With two PCCs in place, the Congress leadership decided to have separate entities as well as premises. Initially, it was thought that the APCC office would function from the present old building and Telangana PCC would shift to the new building. But, objections by senior Telangana Congress leaders put paid to the efforts to retain the building for APCC. According to former APCC general secretary G. Niranjan, the foundation for Gandhi Bhavan was laid on October 7, 1950 by Union Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the building was inaugurated by then President Rajendra Prasad on July 8, 1956. The Hyderabad State Congress used to function from the building run by Gandhi Bhavan Trust.
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Once Andhra Pradesh State was formed on November 1, 1956, the party affairs were given to APCC by the Hyderabad State Congress. And, now, after almost 58 years, the building is again going back to the Telangana PCC, Mr. Niranjan said. He pointed out that when the Congress split into Indira Congress and Reddy Congress, the latter functioned from Gandhi Bhavan. For some time, Indira Congress office was located in Lakdikapul and Hyderguda before being shifted to Gandhi Bhavan, after merger of the two parties. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh is scheduled to hold the maiden meeting of newly-nominated AP Congress election, manifesto and campaign committees on Saturday.