Lucknow, October 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Tensions within the Congress surfaced at the party’s Uttar Pradesh headquarters in Lucknow on Sunday when a clash reportedly broke out between supporters of former state president Ajay Rai and newly appointed state president Aradhana Misra Mona during the swearing-in ceremony of the new leadership.
The altercation allegedly involved heated exchanges, pushing and shoving, and physical confrontations among party workers, creating chaos at the state Congress headquarters. The commotion reportedly continued for around half an hour, while a video purportedly showing the incident circulated widely on social media.
Ajay Rai arrived at the party office with his supporters to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Aradhana Misra Mona as the new Uttar Pradesh Congress president and Imran Masood as the state unit’s working president.
During the proceedings, a disagreement reportedly arose between Rai and a woman party leader while the two were speaking. Following the exchange, Rai allegedly left the office in anger.
His supporters subsequently demanded that the woman leader be removed from her position and issue an apology. They reportedly said Rai would return to the state Congress headquarters only after their demands were met.
Allegations also emerged that women were treated indecently during the altercation. These claims, however, have not been independently verified. Rai also alleged after the incident that he had been mistreated.
As tensions escalated, senior Congress leaders intervened to prevent the confrontation from worsening. Rajya Sabha members Pramod Tiwari and Imran Masood reportedly stepped in to bring the workers under control and restore order at the party headquarters.
Aradhana Misra Mona also made efforts to pacify Rai and ease tensions between the two sides.
Rai eventually returned to the state Congress office after Tiwari assured him that the matter would be addressed.
The incident cast a shadow over the leadership swearing-in ceremony, bringing differences within the state Congress unit into public view.
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