Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress (About this soundpronunciation )) (INC, often called the Congress Party or simply Congress) is a broadly based political party in India. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Empire in Asia and Africa.From the late 19th century, and especially after 1920, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, Congress became the principal leader of the Indian independence movement. Congress led India to independence from Great Britain,and powerfully influenced other anti-colonial nationalist movements in the British Empire. Congress is a secular party whose social democratic platform is generally considered to be on the centre-left of Indian politics. Congress’ social policy is based upon the Gandhian principle of Sarvodaya—the lifting up of all sections of society—which involves the improvement of the lives of economically underprivileged and socially marginalised people. The party primarily endorses social democracy—seeking to balance individual liberty and social justice, welfare and secularism—asserting the right to be free from religious rule and teachings.[citation needed] Its constitution states democractic socialism to be its ideal