Congress appointed Aradhna Mishra Mona president of its Uttar Pradesh unit and Saharanpur MP Imran Masood working president on October 2, 2026. Mishra replaces Ajay Rai in the state party post. The changes come ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election; they affect Congress’s organisation, not the state government.
What changed in the Uttar Pradesh Congress
The appointments took effect immediately, according to The Statesman’s October 2 report, which reproduced the party announcement. The Indian Express also reported the reshuffle that day.
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| Person | New role | Relevant elected or party role |
|---|---|---|
| Aradhna Mishra Mona | President, Uttar Pradesh Congress unit | Rampur Khas MLA; previously Congress Legislature Party leader in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly |
| Imran Masood | Working president, Uttar Pradesh Congress unit | Congress MP from Saharanpur |
| Devinder Nishad | Senior vice-president | Not stated in the announcement reproduced by The Statesman |
| Alok Prasad | Senior vice-president | Not stated in the announcement reproduced by The Statesman |
| Chaudhary Virendra Singh | Congress Legislature Party leader in the state | Not stated in the announcement reproduced by The Statesman |
The appointment report from The Indian Express identifies Mishra as the Rampur Khas MLA and Masood as the Saharanpur MP. Mishra had led the party’s legislative group in the Assembly; Virendra Singh now takes that role. Ajay Rai, whom Mishra replaces as state unit president, had held the post since August 2023, the same report says.
Who is Aradhna Mishra Mona?
Mishra represents Rampur Khas in Pratapgarh district. The Indian Express reports that she won the constituency in 2014, 2017 and 2022, making her a three-time MLA. Before becoming state Congress president, she was the party’s Legislature Party leader in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
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What is Imran Masood’s new role?
Masood is Congress MP for Saharanpur and has been appointed working president of the Uttar Pradesh unit. That is an organisational post within the state party. It is separate from his parliamentary seat and does not make him state Congress president.
What the reshuffle may signal ahead of the 2027 election
The appointments come before Uttar Pradesh’s next Assembly election. The Indian Express describes the lineup as a social-representation balance: a Brahmin state president, a Muslim working president, and OBC and Dalit senior vice-presidents. Its analysis suggests the arrangement could broaden the party’s appeal and could relate to coordination or seat-sharing discussions with the Samajwadi Party, whose political framing includes PDA. These are interpretations and possible implications reported by the publication, not a stated Congress rationale or evidence of an electoral effect.
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The election is for an Assembly of 403 seats, according to The Indian Express’s account of the legislature’s current composition. The reviewed reports do not confirm a polling date or provide a forecast of vote share or the reshuffle’s effect on the result.
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What Mishra said after her appointment
Hindustan Times quoted Mishra as saying: “I am thankful to the party leadership for giving me this responsibility, I will definitely take things ahead from here.” The quote was reported in its October 2, 2026, Lucknow report.
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