With ruling Congress facing a strong anti-incumbency factor in Haryana, the party is now banking on ‘40 star campaigners’, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and vice-president Rahul Gandhi to woo the voters in ensuing lok Sabha polls.
The Congress, which ruled the State of Haryana for last nine years under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is not only facing internal dissensions but also a strong anti-incumbency at both national and State level this time. Several senior leaders including three-time MP from Gurgaon Rao Inderjit Singh, close associate of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and former Union Minister Venod Sharma, three-time MlA from Bhiwani area Dharmbir Singh and several other former MlAs have already deserted the party in the poll season.
Under these circumstances, it has become necessary for the party to embark on a damage control exercise to boost the morale of Congress workers.
Ashok Tanwar, the State Congress president, said that this time, the party has selected star campaigners not only from State Congress but also from other neighbouring States. The star campaigners include former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Union Minister Anand Sharma. It also included AICC treasurer Moti lal Vohra, general secretary and in-charge of Haryana Congress affairs Shakeel Ahmad, general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi and secretary Asha Kumari.
Besides, the party has also deputed all Ministers of Haryana Government, MPs, MlAs, CPS and office bearers, including MP Birender Singh, MP Kumari Selja, MP Deepender Singh, MP Shadi lal Batra, Phool Chand Mullana, Harmohinder Chatha, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, Randeep Surjewala, Geeta Bhukkal, Kiran Choudhary, SatPal Sangwan among others to campaign across the State and apprise people about the performance of UPA I and II, at national level during their rule in the last 10 years.Notably, the State Assembly elections are also due in October this year.