Lucknow, Oct. 3 -- In a key organisational reshuffle aimed at recalibrating the party's social and regional outreach ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, the Congress high command on Friday appointed three-time Rampur Khas MLA Aradhana Mishra 'Mona' as the new president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC), replacing Ajay Rai who was at the helm of the state unit since August 2023. Saharanpur MP Imran Masood has been named working president, while Devinder Nishad and Alok Prasad have been appointed senior vice presidents. The party has named its other MLA Virendra Chaudhary as the Congress Legislature Party leader, a post which Mishra held till now, in Uttar Pradesh with immediate effect. Born on April 20, 1974, in Prayagraj, Aradhana Mishra is the daughter of veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari, who represented the same assembly constituency multiple times. An MBA graduate from Allahabad University, Mishra earlier served three consecutive terms as block pramukh and has been a consistent face of the party in the state legislature. As a Brahmin leader and one of the few women in a prominent organisational role, her elevation is expected to help the Congress strengthen its connection with upper-caste voters and project a more inclusive image. Party strategists believe her appointment could also aid coordination with the Samajwadi Party in the broader Opposition alliance by addressing the need for a credible Brahmin face. Imran Masood, the newly appointed working president, is a sitting Member of Parliament from Saharanpur. Born in 1971 in Gangoh, he hails from a politically influential family in western Uttar Pradesh. His uncle Rasheed Masood was a multi-term MP. Imran Masood earlier served as chairman of the Saharanpur Municipal Council and as the MLA from Muzaffarabad (now Behat) between 2007 and 2012. After stints with other parties, he returned to the Congress and won the Saharanpur Lok Sabha seat in 2024. With a strong base among Muslim voters in western UP, Masood is expected to play a pivotal role in consolidating minority support for the party. Among the senior vice presidents, Devinder Nishad represents an important outreach towards the OBC community. His inclusion signals the Congress's intent to deepen its engagement with backward classes that have traditionally been courted by other parties. Alok Prasad, the other senior vice president, belongs to the Pasi community and has previously handled organisational responsibilities related to Scheduled Castes within the state unit. His elevation is seen as part of the party's continued effort to expand its base among Dalit voters, particularly those who may be looking beyond the Bahujan Samaj Party. Political observers note that the new leadership structure - with a Brahmin woman at the helm, a Muslim leader as working president, and representation for OBC and Dalit communities in key positions - reflects a deliberate social engineering strategy. The Congress appears keen to balance caste equations and regional aspirations as it seeks to revive its organisational presence and electoral fortunes in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 polls....