From Indian National Congress (INC) president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi to former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, ex-cricketer Azharuddin and Bollywood star Sonu Sood, the Congress has drawn up a list of 40 star campaigners to join the state leadership in pitching for the party in the Punjab assembly elections.Among the state leadership, Captain Amarinder Singh, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president, will be electioneering for the party across the state in the next two weeks, while cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has already announced his intention to give Parkash Singh Badal a massive thrashing by campaigning on his home turf of Lambi, where Captain Amarinder is pitted against the Akali leader.The list includes several Congress chief ministers and former chief ministers from various states, as well as a host of senior national level party leaders. These include Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot as well as former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.
Among the top AICC leaders chosen to give a boost to the Punjab Congress campaign are AICC general secretary and MP Ambika Soni, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar and former union ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde and Pawan Kumar Bansal. AICC in-charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari is already camping in Punjab for the past several days to steer the party campaign in the state, while AICC general secretaries Digvijay Singh and Mukul Wasnik will also add their weight to the campaign in the coming days.Rajasthan PCC president Sachin Pilot and UPCC president Raj Babbar have also been shortlisted by the Congress to strengthen the Congress campaign in the state.The list includes several Congress MPs and former MPs, besides All India Mahila Congress president Shobha Oza. Several senior Punjab PCC leaders who are contesting the elections are on the list of campaigners whom the party high command has directed to lend their support to the candidates in other constituencies.Complete list of Congress campaigners, who would be campaigning during the assembly elections to the Legislative Assembly of Punjab - 2017
1. Sonia Gandhi, President, INC
2. Mamnohan Singh, former PM of India
3. Rahul Gandhi, MP and Vice-President, INC
4. Ambika Soni, MP and GS, AICC
5. Digvijay Singh, GS, AICC
6. Mukul Wasnik, GS, AICC
7. Asha Kumari, In-Charge, Punjab
8. Captain Amarinder Singh, President, Punjab PCC
9. Charanjit Singh Channi, CLP Leader, Punjab
10. Virbhadra Singh, CM, Himachal Pradesh
11. Sushil Kumar Shinde, former Union Minister
12. Meira Kumar, former Speaker, Lok Sabha
13. Anand Sharma, MP and Senior Spokesperson, AICC
14. Oscar Fernandes, MP
15. Dr. Shakeel Ahmad, Senior Spokesperson, AICC
16. Ashok Gehlot, former CM, Rajasthan
17. Pawan Kumar Bansal, former Union Minister
18. Sachin Pilot, President, Rajasthan PCC
19. Raj Babbar, President, UPCC
20. Ashok Chaudhary, President, Bihar PCC
21. Pratap Singh Bajwa, MP
22. Jyotiraditya Scindia, MP
23. Ranjeet Ranjan, MP
24. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, MLA and former CM, Punjab
25. K.Raju, Chairman, SC Department, AICC
26. Harish Chaudhary, Secretary, AICC
27. Thakur Kaul Singh, Minister of Revenue and Health, Government of HP
28. Ravneet Bittu, MP
29. Ch. Santokh Singh, MP
30. Shamsher Singh Dullo, MP
31. Mohd. Azharuddin, Ex-MP
32. Sunil Kumar Jakhar, MLA
33. Preneet Kaur, Ex-MP
34. Navjot Singh Sidhu, Ex-MP
35. Arvinder Singh Lovely, former President, Delhi PCC
36. Laal Singh, MLA
37. Manpreet Singh Badal, Vice-President, PPCC
38. Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, President, IYC
39. Sobha Oza, President, All India Mahila Congress
40. Sonu Sood