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Congress faces Uttar Pradesh leadership test before elections
The Congress party is preparing for elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2027.
Two important Congress leaders in the state are reportedly not working smoothly together.
Ajay Rai leads the state party, while Rajendra Pal Gautam helps manage it for the national leadership.
Some party members say they have different political ideas and ways of working.
Gautam is reportedly considering changes to the state leadership and wants the party to focus more on Dalit and Muslim voters.
Rai is said to prefer politics focused on temples and upper-caste communities.
National Congress leaders met Gautam to discuss the situation.
The party is also working on sharing election seats with the Samajwadi Party.
Rai and Gautam deny that there is any conflict.
Differences have emerged between Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai and AICC in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K C Venugopal met Gautam to discuss issues affecting the state unit’s functioning.
Gautam is reportedly pushing for organisational changes, including possibly replacing Rai with former MLA Nadeem Javed.
Party leaders disagree over whether Gautam is overstepping his role and whether Rai’s upper-caste-focused politics can expand Congress’s support.
Both Rai and Gautam have denied reports of friction, with Gautam calling them rumours spread by the BJP.
- Who
- The Uttar Pradesh Congress unit, particularly state president Ajay Rai and AICC in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam, along with senior Congress leaders.
- What
- The Congress high command is addressing reported differences between Rai and Gautam and concerns about organisational changes before the Uttar Pradesh elections.
- Where
- Uttar Pradesh, India, and at the Congress leadership level.
- When
- The issue emerged ahead of Assembly elections expected in early 2027; Gandhi, Vadra and Venugopal met Gautam on Friday.
- Why
- The reported friction could affect Congress’s election preparations, its proposed seat-sharing arrangement with the Samajwadi Party, and its effort to build support among Dalits, Muslims and OBCs.
State leadership’s account
AICC supporters’ account
Role and authority
State leadership’s account
Rai’s supporters say Gautam is trying to function like the state president and does not sufficiently understand Uttar Pradesh’s internal party dynamics.
AICC supporters’ account
AICC sources say Rahul Gandhi has given Gautam considerable freedom to make organisational changes and that Gautam has the national leadership’s backing.
Political direction
State leadership’s account
Some state leaders associate Rai with temple-focused politics and upper-caste communities and view his existing approach as different from Gautam’s.
AICC supporters’ account
Gautam’s reported supporters favour a Dalit-Muslim social coalition and argue that this approach could give Congress greater leverage in seat-sharing talks with the Samajwadi Party.
Nature of the dispute
State leadership’s account
State leaders describe the Rai-Gautam combination as difficult and cite instances of the two avoiding each other at party programmes.
AICC supporters’ account
Rai and Gautam deny that there is friction, while Gautam says reports of differences are rumours spread by the BJP.
Key facts
- State president
- Ajay Rai, appointed in August 2023
- AICC in-charge
- Rajendra Pal Gautam, appointed in June this year
- Election timing
- Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are due in early 2027
- Reported leadership proposal
- Gautam is reportedly backing former Jaunpur MLA Nadeem Javed, a Muslim leader, as a possible replacement for Rai
- Congress strategy
- The party is seeking a social coalition involving Dalits, Muslims and OBCs
- Organisational exercise
- Congress is preparing district-president appointments through its Sangathan Srijan exercise
- Alliance issue
- A seat-sharing arrangement with the Samajwadi Party has not yet been formalised
Quotes
A senior Uttar Pradesh Congress leader
State Congress leader describing the contrasting political approaches of Rai and Gautam
“The idea behind Gautam pitching a Muslim is simple. A Dalit in-charge and a Muslim state president would put more pressure on the SP during seat-sharing talks, considering that the SP is banking on Muslim support.”
indianexpress.com
“Rai’s politics is centred around temples and upper-caste communities, while Gautam is a hardcore Ambedkarite who is uncomfortable with mixing politics and religion. So, for them to not get along is natural.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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