Important Congress Sessions

Year Location President Significance

1885 Bombay W.C. Bonnerjee First session of INC, attended by 72
delegates.
1886 Calcutta Dadabhai Naoroji Merger of National Congress and National
Conference; Formation of Provincial
Congress Committees.
1887 Madras Syed Badruddin Tyabji First Muslim President; Appeal for Hindu-
Muslim unity.
1896 Calcutta Rahimtulla Sayani First recitation of ‘Vande Mataram’ by
Rabindranath Tagore.
1905 Benaras Gopal Krishna Gokhale Proclamation of Swadeshi movement against
British rule.
1906 Calcutta Dadabhai Naoroji First demand for Swaraj; Resolutions on
Swadeshi, boycott, national education.
1907 Surat Rash Behari Ghosh Surat Split - division of Congress into
Moderates and Extremists.
1916 Lucknow Ambica Charan Mazumdar Reunion of Moderates and Extremists;
Lucknow Pact between INC and Muslim
League.
1917 Calcutta Annie Besant First woman President of Congress.
1919 Amritsar Motilal Nehru Condemnation of Jallianwala Bagh
massacre; Support for Khilafat Movement.
1920 Nagpur C. Vijayaraghavachariar Reconstitution of Congress Working
Committees on linguistic basis; Gandhi’s
influence strengthened.
1929 Lahore Jawaharlal Nehru Resolution on ‘Poorna Swaraj’; 26 January
declared as Independence Day.
1930 No session — No session due to Civil Disobedience
Movement.
1931 Karachi Vallabhbhai Patel Resolution on Fundamental Rights and
National Economic Programme;
Endorsement of Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
1932 No session — No session due to Civil Disobedience
Movement and British crackdown.
1933 No session — British repression continued; Congress
declared illegal.
1934 Bombay Rajendra Prasad Amendments in Congress Constitution;
Wearing of Khadi made mandatory.
1935 No session — No session due to participation in provincial
elections.
1936 Lucknow Jawaharlal Nehru Push towards socialism; Congress prepares
for provincial elections.
1937 Faizpur Jawaharlal Nehru First session held in a village; Focus on
agrarian issues.
1938 Haripura Subhas Chandra Bose Formation of National Planning Committee
under Nehru.
1939 Tripuri Rajendra Prasad Subhas Chandra Bose resigns; Formation of
Forward Bloc.
1940 Ramgarh Abul Kalam Azad Decision to launch Civil Disobedience at an
appropriate time.
1941 No session — Repression by British authorities; Congress
leaders arrested.
1942 Bombay Abul Kalam Azad Launch of Quit India Movement demanding
British withdrawal.
1943 No session — Congress leaders imprisoned; Movement
suppressed.
1944 No session — Continued repression; Gandhi released from
jail.
1945 No session — End of World War II; Congress begins
negotiations with British.
1946 Meerut J.B. Kripalani Last session before independence; Congress
prepares for transfer of power.
1947 Delhi J.B. Kripalani Congress leads negotiations for
independence and partition.

Important Congress Working Committee Sessions

Year Location Significance
1922 Gaya Formation of Swaraj Party by C.R. Das and Motilal
Nehru.
1927 Madras Passed a resolution against the Simon Commission.
1928 Calcutta Formation of the Nehru Report on constitutional reforms.
1930 Bombay Launch of Civil Disobedience Movement under Gandhi’s
leadership.
1934 Bombay Amendments in Congress Constitution; Wearing of Khadi
made mandatory.
1940 Ramgarh Congress decides to launch Civil Disobedience at an
appropriate time.
1942 Bombay Quit India Movement launched; Call for British
withdrawal.
1946 Meerut Congress prepares for India’s transition to independence.
 Important Muslim League Sessions
Year Location President Significance
1906 Dhaka Aga Khan Formation of All India Muslim
League.
1913 Lucknow Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk Adoption of self-government as
the goal; Cooperation with
Congress for Lucknow Pact.
1930 Allahabad Muhammad Iqbal Iqbal’s presidential address
advocating a separate Muslim
state.
1940 Lahore M.A. Jinnah Adoption of Lahore Resolution,
demanding Pakistan.
1946 Delhi M.A. Jinnah Direct Action Day called; Demand
for Pakistan intensified.

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