The Indian National Congress was founded in December 1885, with 72 delegates at its first session. Each year it met in a new city under a new president, and the big decisions came from those sessions: the Moderate-Extremist split at Surat (1907), the reunion at Lucknow, and the Purna Swaraj (complete independence) resolution at Lahore (1929), after which 26 January was celebrated as Independence Day.
Key facts
- Founded December 1885; 72 delegates, mostly lawyers, at the first session.
- Surat session, December 1907: the party split into Moderates and Extremists.
- Lahore, 1929: Purna Swaraj (complete independence) declared the goal.
- Other presidents: Gopal Krishna Gokhale (Benares 1905), Subhas Chandra Bose (Haripura 1938), J. B. Kripalani (Meerut 1946).
- Mallikarjun Kharge, elected on 17 October 2022, has been president since 26 October 2022; Sonia Gandhi served longest (1998 to 2017, 2019 to 2022). (as of 23 Oct 2026)
Why exams ask about it
Which city, which year, which president, and the first woman or the only Gandhi-led session are the standard questions.