Ahmedabad Congress shifts office ahead of Assembly polls

Congress today shifted its city-cum-district unit office from Khanpur area here to the newly-acquired Sardar Smriti Bhavan, a building that had served as the party's headquarters till 1969.
Although the move is being seen as the party's attempt to break the jinx of losing elections, the party leaders maintain that the decision to shift the office was taken after it won the legal battle over the possession of the building.
The Sardar Smriti Bhavan, located behind the historic Bhadra Fort in the eastern part of the city, was being governed by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Smriti Trust after the Congress was split into two parties- Congress (O) and Congress (R), in 1969. However, the Congress has now regained it after a gap of almost 48 years following a legal battle.

Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela today inaugurated the city-district office at the historic building.
On the occasion, Solanki said the party workers are very happy to work from a building associated with Sardar Patel, who headed the state Congress from this building for almost 25 years.
As the move comes ahead of the Assembly polls, rumours that made rounds in the political circles suggest that it was aimed at bringing some "good luck", as the Khanpur office was being considered a "jinxed vastu".

However, state Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi rubbished these "rumours" saying the party was fighting a legal battle since a long time to get back the building.

"We are not shifting here because of any vastu-related problems in the old Khanpur office or to get some good luck. This building was our state headquarter till 1969. Following the split that year, we were forced to vacate it after the building was taken over by the trust," Doshi said.
"Recently, we won the legal battle against the trust and once again got the possession of the building. Thus, we have decided to shift our city and district unit here. This building is far more spacious as it can accommodate around 500 persons in its main hall," said Doshi.

The state headquarters of Congress (Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee), named as Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, is currently situated in Paldi area of the city.
While addressing party workers at the new office, Vaghela said the premises can be used for various state-level functions of the party, which are being held at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan at present.
"This place (Sardar Smriti Bhavan) holds the legacy of Sardar Patel. For the optimum utilisation of space, we may also hold various state-level functions here," Vaghela said.
In 2015, the party had decided to shift its state headquarters from Paldi to a new office in Memnagar area, a move seen as their attempt to break the jinx of losing all major elections in state after the party shifted to the current office in 2001.

As per the rumours doing the rounds at that time, Congress leaders and party workers had grown suspicious about the Paldi office, as the party lost all the major elections in the state, be it of assembly or Lok Sabha, after they shifted to Paldi in 2001. However, the relocation was cancelled after the intervention of party high command.