LUCKNOW, June 27 -- Ahead of the 2027 UP assembly polls, the Congress on Friday replaced upper caste (a Brahmin) Avinash Pande with a Dalit Rajendra Pal Gautam as All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Uttar Pradesh.

The appointment of Gautam, currently chairman of AICC's SC wing, reflects the Congress leadership's strategy to strengthen its social justice agenda and expand outreach among Dalit, backward, and marginalised communities.

KC Venugopal, AICC general secretary, in a letter on Friday appointed Gautam as the AICC in-charge for UP; Sanjay Dutt for Haryana and Lalji Desai for Odisha. The decision comes amid speculations that UP Congress chief Ajay Rai will be replaced.

According to party sources, Gautam has been broug...