Congress Workers Clash: There was chaos at the state headquarters of Congress in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday when supporters of two senior party leaders clashed with each other. The occasion was to welcome the new leadership and assume charge, but within a few minutes this atmosphere of enthusiasm turned into sharp tension, pushing and shoving. The dispute between the supporters of former state president Ajay Rai and Mahila Congress leader Mamta Chaudhary escalated so much that the situation reached the level of scuffle and waving of shoes. This entire incident made the senior leaders present on the stage uncomfortable and an atmosphere of chaos was created in the program.
The program was to crown the new leadership
In fact, a formal program of taking charge of Uttar Pradesh Congress's new state president Aradhana Mishra Mona and working president Imran Masood was organized at the Congress headquarters located at Mall Avenue in Lucknow. A large number of workers and senior leaders had arrived from across the state to welcome the new officials. The office premises were completely filled and sloganeering was going on all around. The party wanted to send a message of infusing new energy into the organization through this event, but suddenly the situation went out of control.
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: A verbal spat broke out between supporters of former UP Congress president Ajay Rai and newly appointed president Aradhana Mishra Mona during the joining ceremony at the state headquarters. Ajay Rai left the office following an exchange with a party leader… pic.twitter.com/7QpZ3Y5GJ2
— IANS (@ians_india) October 11, 2026
'Which president?' Controversy erupted as soon as he said this
According to eyewitnesses, the entire controversy started when former state president Ajay Rai was entering the office with his workers. Due to the huge crowd in the campus, the road had become narrow. Meanwhile, the supporters accompanying Ajay Rai requested the people standing in front to move away and said, 'Leave the way from the front, the Speaker is leaving.' Mamta Chaudhary and her colleagues present there reacted sharply to this and raised the question, 'Who is the President?' Now the new president has arrived. An altercation started between both the parties regarding this matter.
Shoes waved after abuse
Within no time this altercation turned into a heated argument and then an open fight. Ajay Rai faction alleges that Mamta Chaudhary and her people used very derogatory and indecent words against the former state president. On hearing the abuses against their leader, Ajay Rai's supporters became angry and started raising loud slogans against Mamata Chaudhary. The protest became so fierce that some workers started waving with shoes in their hands. Eyewitnesses also say that during this time there was a scuffle between the two groups and an incident of throwing of shoes also took place.
The dispute reached senior leaders
After the uproar, Ajay Rai directly reached the stage and senior party leaders. He lodged a strong protest regarding this entire matter in front of Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari, newly appointed state president Aradhana Mishra Mona and working president Imran Masood. Ajay Rai bluntly said that some anarchist elements are deliberately spoiling the atmosphere within the party. The actions of such people tarnish the party's image among the public and media. He demanded from the senior leadership that Mamata Chaudhary, who is indiscipline, should be immediately shown the way out of Congress.
Big blow to party's credibility
After this unpleasant incident, senior Congress leaders intervened and tried to calm the atmosphere. The leaders present on the stage assured Ajay Rai that this entire episode will be investigated and strict action will be taken against those who break discipline. However, on the very day when the party was launching its new organization, such factionalism and shoe-horning within the headquarters has once again brought the internal strife of the organization to the fore. The common workers present in the office also appeared shocked by this incident.
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