Congress office clash in Uttar Pradesh raises doubts on new leadership ahead of 2027 polls

A fight broke out at the Uttar Pradesh Congress headquarters on Sunday, involving women workers and supporters of former state chief Ajay Rai. The incident saw verbal abuse directed at the women and shoes being thrown, unsettling party members. The clash occurred before newly appointed state president Aradhana Misra Mona and working president Imran Masood arrived to take charge of the office. Mamta Chaudhary, who heads the state Mahila Congress central zone and belongs to the Dalit community, was at the centre of the dispute; she has served four terms as a corporator and has previously clashed with Rai. Party insiders said that even if some women provoked the scene, the response could have been handled without hurling insults, especially as cameras recorded the event. BJP‑linked social media accounts have already shared the video, giving the opposition fresh ammunition. The All India Congress Committee has set up an inquiry team led by former state chief Brijlal Khabri, a noted Dalit leader and ex‑BSP member, which will submit its findings within a week. Khabri plans to interview neutral witnesses at the party office and name anyone found responsible, leaving disciplinary action to the party. Both factions accuse the other of staging a planned move: Misra’s camp says Rai was meant to travel with her and MP Pramod Tiwari but arrived alone with many supporters, sparking the row; Rai’s supporters claim he was humiliated deliberately and demand accountability. Rai, who led the state unit for about three years, commands a strong Varanasi base and narrowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s margin in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll. With the Congress holding only two seats in the 403‑member assembly, the episode tests the new leadership’s ability to manage internal rifts while projecting its promise of women’s representation and Dalit inclusion.

Context

Internal disputes like this can hurt a party’s image just before elections, especially when they involve gender and caste issues that the party is trying to highlight.