Prominent leaders of the group of 23 dissenting leaders (G-23) do not figure in the Congress’s list of 30 star campaigners for West Bengal polls that was released on Friday.
The 30-star campaigners submitted by the party to the Election Commission of India didn’t include top leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, all of whom took part in a show of strength by attending a public meeting in Jammu on February 27.
Last week, however, Mr. Azad struck a conciliatory note by stating he and his colleagues were keen to campaign for the party. “For the next two months, our priority would be to try and work for a Congress win in the elections,” he said.
Earlier this week, Mr. Sharma echoed his senior colleague when he said there were “no two groups” in the party.
Names in the list
The top names in the list include party chief Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and party’s leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled States, including Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan), Capt. Amarinder Singh (Punjab) and Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh) would be campaigning as well.
While seniors like Kamal Nath, Salman Khurshid and B K Hariprasad have been included, Sachin Pilot, Randeep Surjewala, R. P. N Singh and Jaiveer Shergill are among the younger leaders named in the list.
Former cricketers Navjot Singh Sidhu and Mohammed Azharuddin are both part of the list.
Among the G-23 or people who had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi last August, Jitin Prasada and Akhilesh Prasad Singh have been included.
Mr. Prasada had distanced himself from the dissenting group last year itself.
