The Congress on Friday (October 2, 2026) appointed Aradhana Misra Mona president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.

Imran Masood, Lok Sabha member from Saharanpur, was appointed Working President, while Devinder Nishad and Alok Prasad have been appointed Senior Vice-Presidents of the party.

Ms. Mona replaced Ajay Rai, who led the party as the State head for over three years. Ms. Mona, a three-time MLA from Rampur Khas Assembly seat under Pratapgarh district, is the daughter of party’s senior leader and Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari. The appointment, months before the Assembly polls, is seen as an attempt by the party to forge a social coalition of Brahmin-Muslim-Dalit communities as Ms. Mona and Mr. Masood hail from Brahmin and Muslim communities respectively. Mr. Tiwari is considered a veteran leader of the grand-old-party and an influential political figure from the Brahmin community. He had won the Rampur Khas Assembly seat eight times. 

“The party appreciates the contributions of the outgoing PCC President, Ajay Rai. The Congress President has also approved the proposal for the appointment of Chaudhary Virendra Singh as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Uttar Pradesh, with immediate effect,” reads the letter. Mr. Masood, the new working president, won the Saharanpur seat in 2024 by over 60,000 votes and is considered an influential Muslim leader from the region of Western Uttar Pradesh. 

“The appointment is a clear signal that the party is eyeing to regain its old social coalition, the Brahmin-Muslim-Dalit alliance, which used to give it political dividend for decades. Both Ms. Misra and Mr. Masood are influential figures in their communities; a Scheduled Caste is the State-in charge of the party; Ms. Misra and his father share a cordial relationship with the Samajwadi Party. It will also help in seat-sharing and smooth functioning of the SP-Congress alliance,” said Asad Rizvi, Lucknow-based political analyst.