Congress picks Aradhana Misra as UP chief ahead of polls, Imran Masood working president

Congress appointed its prominent Brahmin face, Aradhana Misra Mona, who has a strong influence in eastern UP, as the new president of its Uttar Pradesh unit. She replaces Ajay Rai, marking a leadership change ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

In Short

• Aradhana Misra Mona appointed UP Congress chief ahead of Assembly polls
• Saharanpur MP Imran Masood named UPCC working president
• Mona, a three-time MLA and prominent Brahmin face, replaces Ajay Rai

The Congress on Friday appointed Aradhana Misra Mona as the new president of its Uttar Pradesh unit as the party recalibrates its organisation months ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Misra, a 52-year-old three-time MLA from Rampur Khas, was the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in the UP Assembly. A prominent Brahmin face in the party, she replaces Ajay Rai as the state Congress chief.

The party also appointed Saharanpur MP Imran Masood, a prominent Muslim leader with a strong base in western UP, as the working president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC), with immediate effect.

Apart from Misra and Masood, the Congress named Devinder Nishad and Alok Prasad as senior vice presidents of the UP Congress Committee. The party also picked Chaudhary Virendra Singh as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Uttar Pradesh.

The changes come as the Congress seeks to rebuild its organisation in the Hindi heartland state, where it won just two of the state's 403 Assembly seats in the 2022 elections. The party has since been working on a broader organisational revamp ahead of the 2027 polls. In July, the Congress replaced Avinash Pande with Rajendra Pal Gautam, a prominent Dalit leader and national chairman of its Scheduled Castes Department, as the party's general secretary in charge of UP.

The latest appointments also come amid efforts by other major parties to expand their social coalitions ahead of the 2027 contest. The Samajwadi Party has held meetings and organised outreach programmes aimed at Brahmin voters, including a major Prabuddh Sammelan in Lucknow in August.

WHO IS ARADHANA MISRA?

Aradhana Misra, also known as Mona Misra, is the daughter of veteran Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, a Rajya Sabha MP. She has served as the party's CLP leader in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

A three-term MLA, Misra has been active in Uttar Pradesh politics for more than two decades and has carried forward her father's political legacy in Rampur Khas. Tiwari represented the constituency as an MLA for nine consecutive terms before moving to national politics and entering the Rajya Sabha.

The Tiwari family has represented Rampur Khas in Pratapgarh for decades. Misra is also considered close to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and worked extensively with her during the party's 'Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon' campaign.

Misra's appointment gives the Congress a state chief who already has legislative experience and familiarity with the party's functioning in the Assembly.

Misra, after her elevation, underscored that the Congress would uphold the principles of the INDIA bloc.

She expressed confidence that, with the guidance of senior leaders and the support of the "vast Congress family", including its youth, the party would meet the challenge and form an INDIA bloc government in Uttar Pradesh.

"I will discharge this duty with complete dedication and integrity. The 2027 election is approaching, and we must also uphold the principles of the alliance. I am fully confident that, guided by our senior leaders and supported by the vast Congress family, including our energetic youth, we will rise to this challenge and form an INDIA alliance government in 2027," she said.

A BROADER SOCIAL AND REGIONAL MIX

The organisational overhaul indicates the Congress's attempt to give the party a broader social and regional spread ahead of the polls, along with a strong Brahmin outreach.

The new UP Congress structure brings together leaders with different regional and social bases. Misra represents the party's established presence in eastern Uttar Pradesh and its Brahmin leadership, while Masood is a prominent Muslim leader from western Uttar Pradesh.

Devinder Nishad adds an OBC face to the state leadership, while Alok Prasad represents the Scheduled Caste community. The combination gives the revamped state unit a broader social and regional composition ahead of the 2027 election.

The appointments also follow a series of organisational changes by the UP Congress, including the appointment of Rajendra Pal Gautam as state in-charge and Kunwar Singh Nishad as chairman of the party's Media and Publicity Department.

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are expected to be held before March 2027 to elect all 403 members of the state Assembly.

- Ends