The Congress has named party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu among its star campaigners for the October 30 bypolls in Himachal Pradesh amid the ongoing crisis in the Punjab party unit.
In a letter sent to the Election Commission of India on Friday, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal has submitted a list of 20 star campaigners — which also includes new inductee Kanhaiya Kumar — for the by-elections to Mandi Lok Sabha and Arki, Fatehpur and Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly seats of Himachal Pradesh.
Navjot Singh Sidhu had last month submitted his resignation as the Punjab Congress chief, saying he could not compromise on his state’s future and its welfare.
Apart from him, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Chaani, actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar, Shimla (Rural) MLA Vikramaditya Singh, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Punjab minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli have also been included in the list of star campaigners for the by-polls. Chhattishgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, senior Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Rajeev Shukla, Asha Kumari, Dhaniram Shandil, Sachin Pilot, Sanjay Dutt, Thakur Kaul Singh, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu have also been named among the star campaigners.
The Congress general secretary KC Venugopal has also sent the copy of its star campaigners to Himachal chief electoral officer.