Former Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and Lok Sabha member from Punjab Manish Tewari are notably absent from the Congress party’s list of star campaigners for the upcoming assembly elections in the border state.
In the list of 30 star campaigners released on Friday, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Navjot Singh Sidhu, besides former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, former President Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka are included. Gandhi Vadra.
Mr Azad’s boycott assumes significance as his name was included in the list of star campaigners of the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, a day before the former LOP was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Narendra Modi government.
Mr Tiwari’s case is even more shocking as he is not only a Lok Sabha member from Punjab but is actively campaigning in the state. About 40% of the voters in Punjab are from the Hindu community and Mr. Tiwari is a prominent leader of the community.
However, both are also part of the Congress’s Group of 23 (G-23) leaders who wrote to Ms Gandhi in August 2020, calling for internal reforms in the party.
However, the list of Congress includes G-23 leaders like Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Singh Hooda besides other senior leaders like Ashok Gehlot. [Rajasthan Chief Minister]Bhupesh Baghel [Chhattisgarh Chief Minister]Sachin Pilot, Ajay Maken, Randeep Surjewala and others.