Story perspectives

Congress Appoints Imran Masood as Uttar Pradesh Working President

By Drooid · Oct 4, 2026, 10:39 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Congress appointed Saharanpur MP Imran Masood as working president of its Uttar Pradesh unit, alarming the Samajwadi Party.
Congress named Aradhana Misra (Mona) as Uttar Pradesh state president, replacing Ajay Rai.
Masood urged a Congress-Samajwadi alliance be finalised by October, saying the SP cannot defeat the BJP alone.
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said Masood’s appointment will not affect seat-sharing talks, though some SP leaders are uneasy.

History

Historical Context

After the 2004 general election left India without a clear majority, the Indian National Congress created the United Progressive Alliance, winning 218 Lok Sabha seats and partnering with the Samajwadi Party and other left-leaning groups to form a government. Echoing that strategy, Congress now names Saharanpur MP Imran Masood and Aradhana Misra to court the SP for Uttar Pradesh, targeting over 45 % of the vote.

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Story summary

Congress appointed Saharanpur MP Imran Masood as working president of its Uttar Pradesh unit, alarming the Samajwadi Party.
Congress named Aradhana Misra (Mona) as Uttar Pradesh state president, replacing Ajay Rai.
Masood urged a Congress-Samajwadi alliance be finalised by October, saying the SP cannot defeat the BJP alone.
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said Masood’s appointment will not affect seat-sharing talks, though some SP leaders are uneasy.

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