Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K C Venugopal, among other senior party leaders, were present on the occasion

The event saw party leaders hoist the party flag at the new headquarters and the singing of Vande Matram and the national anthem

Sonia Gandhi then inaugurated the building, asking Kharge to join her in cutting the ribbon at the entry of the building

The new state-of-the-art AICC headquarters -- Indira Gandhi Bhawan - symbolises the Congress party`s continuing mission to uphold the vision of its stalwarts, the party had earlier said

"It is time for us to move ahead with the times and embrace the new," AICC general secretary, organisation, Venugopal had said

The construction of Indira Gandhi Bhawan was started during Sonia Gandhi`s tenure as Congress chief

Situated at 9A, Kotla Road, New Delhi, the Indira Gandhi Bhawan is designed to meet the evolving needs of the party and its leaders, featuring modern facilities to support administrative, organisational, and strategic activities

"This iconic building reflects the Congress party`s forward-looking vision while paying homage to its extraordinary past, which has shaped the political and social fabric of India," he had said

The construction of the new AICC headquarters was delayed by several years owing to "paucity of funds" ever since the Congress lost its government at the Centre. The BJP has also not vacated its old party headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road, even after shifting to its new headquarters at Deendayal Upadhyay Marg