<p>Nagpur: Congregating in Nagpur - the geographical centre-point of India - the Congress would sound the bugle for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with a larger mission to save the Constitution and democracy. </p><p>The Congress would celebrate its 138th foundation day on December 28 in Nagpur. </p><p>The rally would be held at Dighori Naka, which has been named as Bharat Jodo Maidan and the mission is very clear - 'Hai Taiyaar Hum’ (We are Ready). </p>.Cong to sound LS poll bugle with mega rally in Nagpur today; all you need to know.<p>Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, past Presidents - Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi would be addressing the mega rally. </p><p>Incidentally, the Congress has chosen Nagpur, the headquarters of the RSS - the ideological parent of the BJP - to launch its campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, which is barely three months away. </p><p>Nagpur has its own importance in the history of India’s freedom struggle and the Congress. </p><p>“Nagpur signals change…and a change is needed in the country to save the Constitution and democracy, for which the Congress party stands,” Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said on Wednesday as he undertook the final inspection of the stage and the ground where the mega-rally would be held. </p><p>After the drubbing in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the event has been carefully crafted by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. </p><p>“All the Congress MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and all Congress MLAs and MLCs from all states would be present,” Patole said and claimed that more than 10 lakh people are expected from across the country. </p><p>“All Congress party’ Chief Ministers, Pradesh Congress Committee Presidents, Congress Working Committee members, senior leaders would be present,” he added. </p><p>In December 1920, Mahatma Gandhi - the Father of the Nation - raised the slogan of non-co-operation against the tyrannical British rule from Nagpur, Congress also adopted a new Constitution and modified its guiding principles.</p><p>It was from Nagpur that Indira Gandhi - the former Prime Minister - was announced as the national president of the party in 1959. </p><p>“After Emergency and defeat in the Lok Sabha polls of 1977, Indira Gandhi chose the Kasturchand Park in Nagpur to address the first public meeting - which saw the revival of Congress and bunching back to power in 1980,” said Maharashtra Congress chief spokesperson and general secretary Atul Londhe.</p><p><strong>Grand stage erected </strong></p><p>In what would be a move to boost the morale of Congress workers and signal unity, a grand stage has been made at a huge stretch of land in Dighori Naka in the outskirts of Nagpur, popularly known as the Orange City. The huge stage is a combination of three stages - the central one of 100 x 40 feet and two adjacent ones of 80 x 45 feet each. “While the central stage can accommodate 240 persons, the adjacent stages can accommodate 200 persons each. Around 640 persons would be seated on the stage,” Congress sources said. </p><p><strong>Multiple committees formed </strong></p><p>The Congress has made elaborate arrangements to handle the large influx of party workers and leaders in Nagpur. “We've formed multiple committees. “There are committees like railway reception committee, airport reception committee, state committee, road reception teams have been formed and put in action with proper briefings so that there is no convenience to the Congress workers and the general public,” said Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee working president Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan. </p><p><strong>Beginning of Congress </strong></p><p>On December 28, 1885, 72 leaders, social reformers, journalists and lawyers congregated for the first session of Indian National Congress at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay (now Mumbai), marking the start of what is now known as the grand old party. Allan Octavian Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji and Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee , Badruddin Tyabji and Pherozeshah Mehta were some of the delegates present at this event. On August 7, 1942, the All India Congress Committee organized its session under the Presidentship of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad which continued past-midnight. On 8 August, 1942, the clarion call for ‘Bharat Chhodo Andolan’ (Quit India Movement) was given, with the mantra of "do or die” by Mahatma Gandhi at the Gowalia Tank Maidan (now August Kranti Maidan), just off the Gokuldas Tejpal, where Congress was founded. <br></p>
<p>Nagpur: Congregating in Nagpur - the geographical centre-point of India - the Congress would sound the bugle for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with a larger mission to save the Constitution and democracy. </p><p>The Congress would celebrate its 138th foundation day on December 28 in Nagpur. </p><p>The rally would be held at Dighori Naka, which has been named as Bharat Jodo Maidan and the mission is very clear - 'Hai Taiyaar Hum’ (We are Ready). </p>.Cong to sound LS poll bugle with mega rally in Nagpur today; all you need to know.<p>Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, past Presidents - Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi would be addressing the mega rally. </p><p>Incidentally, the Congress has chosen Nagpur, the headquarters of the RSS - the ideological parent of the BJP - to launch its campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, which is barely three months away. </p><p>Nagpur has its own importance in the history of India’s freedom struggle and the Congress. </p><p>“Nagpur signals change…and a change is needed in the country to save the Constitution and democracy, for which the Congress party stands,” Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said on Wednesday as he undertook the final inspection of the stage and the ground where the mega-rally would be held. </p><p>After the drubbing in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the event has been carefully crafted by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. </p><p>“All the Congress MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and all Congress MLAs and MLCs from all states would be present,” Patole said and claimed that more than 10 lakh people are expected from across the country. </p><p>“All Congress party’ Chief Ministers, Pradesh Congress Committee Presidents, Congress Working Committee members, senior leaders would be present,” he added. </p><p>In December 1920, Mahatma Gandhi - the Father of the Nation - raised the slogan of non-co-operation against the tyrannical British rule from Nagpur, Congress also adopted a new Constitution and modified its guiding principles.</p><p>It was from Nagpur that Indira Gandhi - the former Prime Minister - was announced as the national president of the party in 1959. </p><p>“After Emergency and defeat in the Lok Sabha polls of 1977, Indira Gandhi chose the Kasturchand Park in Nagpur to address the first public meeting - which saw the revival of Congress and bunching back to power in 1980,” said Maharashtra Congress chief spokesperson and general secretary Atul Londhe.</p><p><strong>Grand stage erected </strong></p><p>In what would be a move to boost the morale of Congress workers and signal unity, a grand stage has been made at a huge stretch of land in Dighori Naka in the outskirts of Nagpur, popularly known as the Orange City. The huge stage is a combination of three stages - the central one of 100 x 40 feet and two adjacent ones of 80 x 45 feet each. “While the central stage can accommodate 240 persons, the adjacent stages can accommodate 200 persons each. Around 640 persons would be seated on the stage,” Congress sources said. </p><p><strong>Multiple committees formed </strong></p><p>The Congress has made elaborate arrangements to handle the large influx of party workers and leaders in Nagpur. “We've formed multiple committees. “There are committees like railway reception committee, airport reception committee, state committee, road reception teams have been formed and put in action with proper briefings so that there is no convenience to the Congress workers and the general public,” said Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee working president Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan. </p><p><strong>Beginning of Congress </strong></p><p>On December 28, 1885, 72 leaders, social reformers, journalists and lawyers congregated for the first session of Indian National Congress at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay (now Mumbai), marking the start of what is now known as the grand old party. Allan Octavian Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji and Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee , Badruddin Tyabji and Pherozeshah Mehta were some of the delegates present at this event. On August 7, 1942, the All India Congress Committee organized its session under the Presidentship of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad which continued past-midnight. On 8 August, 1942, the clarion call for ‘Bharat Chhodo Andolan’ (Quit India Movement) was given, with the mantra of "do or die” by Mahatma Gandhi at the Gowalia Tank Maidan (now August Kranti Maidan), just off the Gokuldas Tejpal, where Congress was founded. <br></p>