Lucknow, Oct 11 (PTI) Congress lawmaker Aradhana Misra Mona assumed charge as the party’s Uttar Pradesh chief at an event at the state Congress headquarters here on Sunday that was briefly marred by an ugly confrontation between two groups.
While one group raised slogans in Mona’s favour, another raised slogans in support of outgoing party chief Ajay Rai. Senior party leaders present, including Mona’s father, Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari, and Uttar Pradesh Congress working president Imran Masood, tried to placate both sides.
It was not immediately clear what exactly triggered the war of words between supporters of Misra and Rai, but at one point, as supporters allegedly traded blows and hurled expletives at each other, a visibly angry Rai threatened to walk out of the event.
Tiwari and Masood intervened and persuaded Rai to stay.
Rai later welcomed Mona with a bouquet, and party leaders downplayed the earlier incident, whose images went viral on social media. A party leader who was present during the commotion at the Uttar Pradesh Congress headquarters told PTI that there was no “man-mutaav (estrangement)” among party leaders.
“Some party workers said something, following which Rai attempted to walk out, but after the intervention from Masood and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari, Rai stopped. The claims about exchange of blows and hurling of slippers on social media are false,” the leader said.
When contacted, Rai declined to comment on the controversy but said he congratulated Mona on her appointment and hoped she would take the party to new heights. “I am an ordinary party cadre who will continue to put in my best for the party,” he said.
Party sources said Rai complained to the party high command, alleging he was insulted during the event, and the leadership assured him that it would take action against those responsible.
Mona couldn’t be reached for her take on the unfortunate turn of events, but sources said she assured Rai that she would take action against those behind the fracas. “Such controversies are uncalled for at a time when the party is looking to get its act together ahead of 2027 UP polls,” a party leader told PTI.
Mona took charge on the first day of Shardiya Navratra, which many Hindus consider auspicious.
“New responsibilities, new resolutions — unwavering commitment to strengthening the organisation, public service, and constitutional values!” the Uttar Pradesh Congress said in a post on X. Mona thanked the Congress high command.
In another post on X in Hindi, the Uttar Pradesh Congress reiterated its “unwavering commitment to safeguard democracy, protecting the right to vote, and addressing issues of public interest!”
Mona addressed the press and highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s role in defending the country’s democracy and Constitution. She also raised questions regarding electoral impartiality, alleged irregularities in voter lists, citizens’ constitutional right to vote, and the Election Commission’s accountability.
She accused the BJP government of “anti-people policies”, alleging peak unemployment in Uttar Pradesh, scams in recruitment exams, and the “dilapidated” education and health systems.
She also raised the issues of law and order, corruption, lack of basic infrastructure, and the problems faced by farmers and labourers.
On this occasion, Mona announced the Congress weekly ‘Chargesheet Campaign’ to highlight the Uttar Pradesh government’s failures. Under the programme, the X post said the party will issue a chargesheet every week on a major public-interest issue, demanding direct accountability from the government.
Mona described the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections as an important contest for the state’s future.
Mona faces an uphill task for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, as the party has been out of power in Uttar Pradesh since 1989. In the 2022 assembly elections, the Congress won only two of 403 seats in the state, failing to win from its ‘strongholds’ of Amethi and Raebareli.
The recent leadership change in the party’s state unit, in which Rai, a Bhumihaar, was replaced by Mona, a Brahmin, has led to speculation that it aimed to ensure the alliance deal with the Samajwadi Party went through smoothly. Many believe Rai was not too keen on a pre-poll alliance with the Samajwadi Party.
Mona, on the other hand, shares good political equations with the SP, which may come in handy during alliance talks. The Congress has also promoted firebrand Saharanpur MP Masood as the working president of the party’s state unit. Masood has been vocal in asserting that Congress would demand a “respectable deal” from the SP during talks, arguing that the alliance’s success in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in UP happened because of Congress support. In the 2024 polls, SP won 37 and Congress 6 Lok Sabha seats, limiting the BJP to 33 seats in the most populous state.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has maintained that his party would contest the 2027 UP polls in an alliance, though the seat-sharing arrangement is still in the works.
Later in a post on X, Mona thanked Rai.
She said, “The real strength of the organisation lies in our dedicated workers. With their trust, experience, and cooperation, we will continuously work to make the Congress organisation in Uttar Pradesh even stronger. Jai Samvidhan! Jai Congress!” The party also named Chaudhary Virendra Singh Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Uttar Pradesh, replacing Mona, who had held the post earlier. PTI NAV MAN ARB ASD
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