India, April 4 -- You could be forgiven if you haven't the foggiest idea of the significance of 24 Akbar Road unless, of course, you are a member of the Congress Party. This bespoke residence in Lutyens Delhi was from January 1978 till early last year the party's head office. As Rasheed Kidwai in his book 24 Akbar Road records, seven Congress presidents presided over the party from their office in this house.

Built sometime between 1911 and 1925 by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it's a particularly fine example of British colonial architecture. It was always considered special. When he was a member of Lord Linlithgow's Executive Council, Sir Reginald Maxwell lived there. After independence, particularly fortunate ministers and MPs were allotted this...