UP Congress leadership hand‑over turns chaotic as misogynistic slurs fly

When Aradhana Mishra – known to many as “Mona” – stepped up to become the new president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, the occasion was anything but smooth. In Lucknow’s cramped party office, supporters of the outgoing chief Ajay Rai and a faction loyal to party councillor Mamta Chaudhary turned a routine hand‑over into a full‑blown confrontation.

Footage that quickly went viral shows a swirl of voices, some of them bordering on outright harassment. You can hear slurs aimed at Mishra, and even shoes and slippers being tossed back and forth. One can’t help but notice the tension in the air, as if the very walls were holding their breath.

The spark, according to people on the ground, was a simple question. Rai’s men asked the crowd near the entrance to make way for the incoming state president. Chaudhary, not happy with the demand, challenged it. What followed was a rapid escalation – raised voices, a few sharp gestures, and then, according to several eyewitnesses, a scuffle that saw women workers being jostled and, regrettably, some of their footwear being flung.

Even though Mishra’s father, veteran Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Mishra, was present and visibly trying to calm the situation, the verbal abuse didn’t die down. Observers reported that some of the chant‑youth were specifically targeting the new female chief with misogynistic epithets – a detail that has since drawn sharp criticism from various quarters.

Later, Mamta Chaudhary accused Rai of shouting “stay within your limits” at her, alleging that his supporters physically menaced women workers, including Dalit women. She vowed to take the matter up with Congress supremo Rahul Gandhi, describing the episode as anti‑Dalit and anti‑women.

Ajay Rai, for his part, called for action against those he labeled “anti‑party elements” and even suggested that Chaudhary be expelled from the Congress. His statements, reported by The Times of India, added another layer of intra‑party drama to an already fraught scene.

The fallout didn’t stop at the party’s doorstep. Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, a BJP leader, seized on the chaos to mock Rahul Gandhi’s recent “shop of love” comment, arguing that Congress was too busy fighting itself to present any united front. BJP state president Pankaj Cha­udhary echoed the sentiment, urging the party to introspect about its internal discipline.

Adding a gender‑focused voice, Women’s Commission member Priyanka Maurya highlighted that the videos showed women – some from Dalit and backward communities – being assaulted. She questioned the dissonance between Congress’s professed support for gender equality and the alleged misconduct occurring inside its own headquarters.

Amid the shouting and shoe‑throwing, senior Congress stalwarts like Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari and MP Imran Masood stepped in, trying to de‑escalate the situation. Tiwari, who also happens to be Mishra’s father‑in‑law, welcomed his daughter’s appointment, praising the “fourth‑generation” leadership under the guidance of senior party figures.

Samajwadi Party leader Ravidas Mehrotra, watching from the sidelines, reminded everyone that the opposition’s priority should be to challenge the BJP’s rule, not to be embroiled in internal squabbles.

So, what does this brawl mean for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh? It certainly paints a picture of a party wrestling with factionalism, gender bias, and the ever‑present challenge of keeping its ranks united – especially at a time when the state’s political battlefield is heating up.