Former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Rai on Saturday, 3 October 2026, pledged to continue working for the party as a 'dedicated soldier' after the Indian National Congress replaced him with Aradhana Mishra Mona as the new state unit chief, ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Rai, who appeared visibly emotional following the leadership change, was unequivocal in his public support for the party decision.

Rai's Response to the Leadership Change

Addressing the media, Rai clarified that he had neither been asked to resign nor had any such discussion taken place. 'Resignation was never discussed, no one asked about resignation. Today I am working for the party, I am a soldier of the party, and I am following whatever instructions the party has given. I was not asked to resign,' he said.

The outgoing UPCC chief described the reshuffle as purely an organisational decision and said he accepted it 'wholeheartedly.' He added: 'Whatever the party's direction is, it is acceptable to me, and I accept it wholeheartedly. I will try to work day and night for the party even harder than I have been doing.'

Unity Message to Congress Workers

Rai used the occasion to appeal directly to rank-and-file Congress workers in the state, urging them to remain united and rally behind party leadership. 'I would tell the workers to stand firmly and strengthen Rahul Gandhi and strengthen Congress. I appeal to the workers with folded hands that there is no resentment anywhere. We are all one family. Today there is a post, tomorrow it will go, and it will come again. The party will consider it again,' he said.

He also reaffirmed his commitment to the directives of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, saying responsibilities entrusted by them had been fulfilled sincerely and would continue to be so.

Congress Bets on Aradhana Mishra Mona for UP

The appointment of Aradhana Mishra Mona as the new Pradesh Congress Committee president signals a strategic recalibration by the Congress ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The state, which sends 80 seats to the Lok Sabha and commands 403 Assembly constituencies, has remained largely out of Congress's reach for over three decades. Mona's elevation is seen within party circles as an attempt to inject fresh energy into a state unit that has struggled for traction against the dominant Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP).

The Larger Political Context

Rai's ouster — even if framed as an organisational reshuffle — comes at a sensitive time. Uttar Pradesh remains the single most consequential electoral battleground in Indian politics, and the Congress's footprint in the state has been marginal since the late 1980s. The party's renewed push, backed by the INDIA alliance framework, now hinges on whether new leadership can convert grassroots enthusiasm into organisational strength. Rai himself was unambiguous about the party's declared goal: 'Certainly, our goal is to remove the Bharatiya Janata Party… and we will continue to do so.'

Whether Mona's appointment accelerates that objective — or merely reshuffles the same structural challenges — will become clearer as the election campaign takes shape in the months ahead.