Misra‑Mona replaces Ajay Rai, who led the UP Congress since August 2023, after the party’s president Mallikarjun Kharge announced the change on Friday. Her own electoral victory in the last assembly election—where the party suffered a rout—makes her a symbol of resilience.
Alongside, the Congress named MP Imran Masood as working president, a move that signals a push to court Muslims in western Uttar Pradesh; Masood, a seasoned parliamentarian, has been a vocal critic of the Samajwadi Party's leadership in Saharanpur. His appointment could inflame tensions with the SP, which has recently traded barbs with him.
The committee also appointed Chaudhary Virendra Singh as Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, while Devinder Nishad and Alok Prasad were elevated to senior vice‑presidents, bolstering the state unit’s leadership cadre.
Misra‑Mona said, "I belong to the fourth generation of my family in the Congress, and I will discharge this responsibility with complete dedication and honesty…" She added that caste, community, and religion are not divisions for the party.
With the leadership reshuffle, the Congress is preparing to negotiate seat‑sharing with the Samajwadi Party, a move that could shape the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly contest; an alliance memorandum is expected before the election campaign kicks off.