 In early 1986, Yeltsin began sniping at Gorbachev in Politburo meetings.At the Twenty-Seventh Party Congress in February, Yeltsin called for more far-reaching reforms than Gorbachev was initiating and criticized the party leadership, although did not cite Gorbachev by name, claiming that a new cult of personality was forming.Gorbachev then opened the floor to responses, after which attendees publicly criticized Yeltsin for several hours.