The Congress on Thursday sustained its pressure on the BJP for the removal of Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra Teni and the arrest of his son Ashis Mishra in the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre, a day after Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra brought the horrific crime into national focus by their visit to the victims’ families.

While Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu led a massive delegation of ministers, MLAs and party workers to Uttar Pradesh, similar groups from Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Haryana also marched towards Lakhimpur Kheri under their top state leaders. Though none of these groups were allowed to reach Lakhimpur Kheri, the Uttar Pradesh administration was brought under tremendous pressure, demolishing the perception that the controversy will go off the boil after the visit by Rahul and Priyanka.

Sidhu declared he would go on a fast-unto-death from Friday if Teni’s son wasn’t arrested. “You have to confront the governments when zulm (oppression) crosses the limit. Over 600 farmers have died in the movement against the farm laws but the Narendra Modi government is unmoved. So far, no politician has died for the cause. I am taking a public vow — I will go on fast from tomorrow if the minister’s son who ran over farmers is not arrested. I am ready to sacrifice my life for ensuring justice for the farmers.”

That the Congress is taking the agitation seriously, unlike the symbolic gesture of protest usually, was manifested not only in Priyanka’s determined resolve to reach Lakhimpur Kheri and Rahul’s combative support to the cause, but the involvement of senior leaders in Thursday’s campaign. In Punjab, while deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and several ministers drove to Saharanpur where they were taken into custody, even chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi joined them briefly to motivate the delegation.

Channi had accompanied Rahul and Priyanka to Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday and, along with Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, announced financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh to the victims’ families.

The massacre of farmers has become an emotional issue in poll-bound Punjab as two young Sikhs had lost their lives in the tragedy. Even the delegation from Uttarakhand was led by Harish Rawat while both Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja were present in the Haryana group.

The Rajasthan delegation was led by state Congress chief Govind Dotasara. Sachin Pilot tried to visit Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday itself but was detained at Moradabad.

Delegations from Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Delhi and other states are also scheduled to reach Lakhimpur Kheri. The party high command has also decided to seek time from the President to demand the removal of Teni and the arrest of his son.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress unit submitted a memorandum to the governor for the arrest of the father-son duo and held demonstrations throughout the state on Thursday.

The Lakhimpur episode is bound to affect the coming elections in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere but it has already impacted the Congress’s internal politics. While veteran P. Chidambaram, who had talked of fear in the party a few days ago, had to jump in favour of Priyanka on Wednesday, it was followed by a series of tweets by G-23 leader Anand Sharma in support of the Congress leadership.

Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha, both G-23 members, wrote a letter to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath explaining legal points about the illegality of Priyanka’s arrest.

While Sharma attacked the Uttar Pradesh government for arresting Priyanka and stopping Rahul on Wednesday, he tweeted on Thursday: “Commending Rahul and Priyanka’s courageous act of compassion and solidarity with farmers whose sons were killed. A sincere and expressed commitment to fight for justice for the bereaved farmers which must be supported by all who respect the rule of law.”

The G-23 is clearly in a mood for reconciliation which will help the party change the narrative about the leadership crisis with Rahul emerging as the clear leader. The momentum is only going to pick up from here as electioneering will start now in five states, pushing the leadership question aside even if Rahul doesn’t take over formally.

This dramatic change of ambience might have done a great favour to the party as a generation war theory was gaining currency after the joining of Kanhaiya Kumar and Jignesh Mevani and the outbursts of sulking veterans.