By IANS
NEW DELHI: The Congress released the list of its star campaigners for the three- phase Assam Assembly elections which included party chief Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former party President Rahul Gandhi, his sister and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several others.
Like West Bengal, the list missed out the names of former Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior party leader Kapil Sibal, Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari and Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma, who are part of the G-23 signatories.
The other star campaigners are Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Mukul Wasnik, Salman Khurshid, Jitendra Singh, Vikas Upadhyay, Anirudh Singh, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, Mohan Prakash, Nabam Tuki, Mukul Sangma.
The party has also named Rameshwar Oraon, Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora, Sushmita Dev, Gourav Gogoi, Debabarta Saikia, Pradyut Bordolai, Rakibul Hussain, Bhupen Bora, Rana Goswami, Ranee Narah, Rupjyoti Kurmi, Roselina Tirkey and Pradip Nag.
Priyanka Gandhi had last week gone to Assam on a two-day visit and addressed a few public rallies and also met Assam tea garden workers.
She is again scheduled to visit the state in the coming days. Her brother Rahul Gandhi, who went to Tamil Nadu and Kerala earlier, will also visit Assam in the coming days. The Congress, which ruled the state for 15 years before losing power in 2016 to the BJP, is hoping for a comeback on the back of a multi-party alliance.
The Congress has formed a Grand Alliance in Assam consisting of the AIUDF, Bodoland People’s Front, CPI, CPM, CPML, the Anchalik Gana Morcha and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. It was formed to fight the upcoming election for the 126-member assembly against the BJP-led NDA.
Polling will take place in three phases — March 27, April 1 and April 6. Counting of votes will be taken up on May 2.
