Congress Appoints New State Presidents for Uttar Pradesh and Punjab

The Indian National Congress executed a major organizational overhaul on October 2, 2026, appointing new state presidents for Uttar Pradesh and Punjab to prepare for upcoming Assembly elections. In Uttar Pradesh, state MLA Aradhana Misra Mona was named president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC), replacing Ajay Rai, who had led the unit for over three years.

Alongside Misra, the party appointed Lok Sabha MP Imran Masood as Working President of the UPCC, while Devinder Nishad and Alok Prasad became Senior Vice-Presidents. Chaudhary Virendra Singh was named Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the state. These changes aim to rebuild a social coalition of Brahmin, Muslim, and Dalit communities and facilitate a smoother alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Misra stated her goal is to form an "INDIA alliance government in 2027."

In Punjab, former Indian hockey captain and MLA Pargat Singh was appointed president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). He succeeds Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who resigned from the post. The appointments were formalized via notifications signed by AICC General Secretary K. C. Venugopal. While Masood praised the organizational work performed under Ajay Rai's leadership, he noted that the leadership change was ultimately the party's decision.