An internal rift within the Indian National Congress erupted publicly at the party's Uttar Pradesh Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters in Lucknow on Sunday, 11 October 2026, when a clash broke out between supporters of former State party President Ajay Rai and backers of newly appointed State party President Aradhana Misra Mona during the swearing-in ceremony of the new UP Congress leadership.

What Happened at the Swearing-In

Ajay Rai arrived at the State Congress headquarters along with his supporters to attend the installation of Aradhana Misra Mona as the new State party President and Imran Masood as the state unit Working President. During the proceedings, a disagreement reportedly arose between Rai and a woman party leader while the two were in conversation. Rai allegedly left the office in anger shortly thereafter.

His supporters subsequently demanded that the woman leader be removed from her position and issue a public apology. They reportedly declared that Rai would return to the state Congress office only after their demands were met.

Violence and Chaos at the Headquarters

The altercation escalated into heated exchanges, pushing, shoving, and physical clashes among party workers, creating significant commotion inside the state headquarters. The disorder reportedly continued for approximately half an hour. Some individuals alleged that women were treated indecently during the altercation; however, these claims have not been independently verified. A video purportedly showing the incident circulated widely on social media following the incident.

Rai also alleged that he himself had been mistreated, adding a further dimension to what began as a dispute at the margins of a formal leadership ceremony.

Senior Leaders Step In

As the situation deteriorated, senior party figures intervened to prevent further escalation. Rajya Sabha members Pramod Tiwari and Imran Masood stepped in to bring workers under control and restore order at the headquarters. Newly sworn-in State President Aradhana Misra Mona also reportedly made efforts to personally pacify Rai and ease tensions between the two camps.

Rai eventually returned to the state Congress office after Pramod Tiwari assured him that his grievances would be addressed.

Context: Congress's Challenges in Uttar Pradesh

The public fallout is a significant embarrassment for the Congress, which has struggled to consolidate its organisational base in Uttar Pradesh — a state critical to any national political ambition. The party had positioned the leadership change as a reset; instead, the ceremony itself became the flashpoint. This comes amid sustained pressure on the Congress to present a united front ahead of future assembly and general election cycles. Notably, infighting during leadership transitions has recurred across several Congress state units in recent years, raising questions about internal party management at the national level.

What Comes Next

Senior leadership is expected to step in formally to resolve the factional dispute. Whether the assurances given by Pramod Tiwari translate into concrete action — and how the new State President Aradhana Misra Mona manages the legacy factions — will determine whether Sunday's incident remains an isolated episode or signals a deeper organisational fracture in one of India's most electorally consequential states.