New Delhi: Today, the Congress announced a list of star campaigners for Uttarakhand polls in which big names of Congress are present including Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Unexpectedly, Navjot Singh Sidhu was not in the list of star campaigners.
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Ghulam Nabi Azad is also on the list, having been targeted last month after receiving the Padma Bhushan. Other prominent campaigners for the state include Sachin Pilot, Bhupesh Baghel, and Randeep Surjewala, who have been active in campaigning over the previous few months as Congress seeks to reclaim lost ground in this election season.
The Congress had been witnessing a lot of high drama in Punjab in the months leading up to the state polls, which peaked in September when Amarinder Singh stood down and Punjab’s first Dalit Chief Minister, Chandrajit Singh Channi, was elected. The Dalit community makes up 31% of the population of the state.
On Sunday, the party nominated CS Channi, a candidate from a different constituency. He is now contesting the seats of Bhadaur and Chamkaur Sahib, which he has held since 2007.
Despite the fact that the Congress has yet to pick a candidate for Chief Minister, the decision was interpreted as a hint that the 58-year-old leader has gained an edge.
Navjot Singh Sidhu is running from East Amritsar, a seat he won easily the last time around.
After Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by CS Channi and Navjot Sidhu, announced last week that workers will select who will be chosen for the top job, Sonia Gandhi is known to be in talks.
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Mr Sidhu paid a visit to the Vaishno Devi shrine in the midst of the deliberations.
After a televote in which over 22 lakh people from throughout the state participated, the ruling party’s main opponent, the AAP, has picked its candidate, Bhagwant Singh Mann.
