Aradhana Mishra May Replace Ajay Rai As UP Congress Chief Ahead Of 2027 Polls: Sources

Congress MLA Aradhana Mishra may be appointed as the next Uttar Pradesh Congress president, sources said. The party could replace incumbent state chief Ajay Rai ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled for next year.

Aradhana Mishra is the daughter of Congress MP Pramod Tiwari and currently represents the Rampur Khas Assembly constituency in Pratapgarh.

Aradhana Mishra’s Electoral Record

Aradhana Mishra became an MLA for the first time after winning the Rampur Khas bypoll in 2014. She subsequently won the seat in the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections.

Her father, Pramod Tiwari, has represented Rampur Khas as an MLA nine times.

Focus On Brahmin And Women Voters

If the Congress appoints Aradhana Mishra as its Uttar Pradesh chief, it could be seen as an attempt to reach out to Brahmin voters while also sending a message to women voters.

Brahmin voters are considered influential in more than 100 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh and are estimated to account for 12-14 per cent of the state’s electorate.

The Congress won only two seats in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with Rampur Khas being one of them.

Ajay Rai Could Be Replaced

Ajay Rai, the current Uttar Pradesh Congress president, belongs to the Bhumihar community. There have been reports of alleged differences between Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Gautam and Rai in recent days. However, both leaders have rejected the reports.

The Congress is working on various political equations ahead of next year’s Assembly elections after winning only two seats in the previous polls.

While the Congress contested the last Assembly election on its own, the party is now in an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the upcoming polls.