The Congress on Friday changed the guard in Uttar Pradesh, replacing Ajay Rai with three-time Rampur Khas MLA Aradhana Misra Mona as Pradesh Congress Committee president and appointing Saharanpur MP Imran Masood as working president, in a significant organisational rejig months ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.The party also appointed Devinder Nishad and Alok Prasad as senior vice-presidents and named Chaudhary Virendra Singh as the new Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the state.The appointments, approved by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge with immediate effect, come at a time when the party is preparing for difficult seat-sharing negotiations with the Samajwadi Party. The Congress is eyeing 150-200 seats in the 403-member Assembly as part of its bargaining position with the SP, while simultaneously preparing a constituency-wise plan to contest all seats if an agreement is not reached.The change also gives the Congress a new organisational combination in the state, with Misra taking charge of the party, Masood being given a key working role and Nishad and Prasad being brought in as senior vice-presidents.Misra, the daughter of veteran Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, has been a prominent face of the party in Uttar Pradesh and represents Rampur Khas in the Assembly. She has also served as the Congress Legislature Party leader in the state. Recent reports had indicated that the party was considering her for the top organisational post ahead of the elections.Masood, a Congress MP from Saharanpur, has also been given a central role in the new state structure. His appointment comes as the Congress looks to broaden its organisational reach among different sections of the electorate ahead of the Assembly contest.The Congress expressed its appreciation for the contribution of outgoing PCC president Ajay Rai but did not specify his next organisational responsibility.Rai had headed the UP Congress during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the Congress and SP fought the polls together. The two parties subsequently continued their political partnership, but seat-sharing for the much larger 403-seat Assembly election is expected to involve tougher negotiations. Congress sources have maintained that the party wants to identify and negotiate for seats on the basis of its own assessment rather than accept an allocation decided entirely by the SP.