New Delhi, Aug. 31: The Congress party has unveiled its list of 40-star campaigners for the first phase of the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled for September 18. The list features prominent names, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former party president Rahul Gandhi, and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. These leaders are set to spearhead the party’s campaign efforts in a crucial election that marks the first Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The list, released by Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, also includes several other high-profile leaders who will be at the forefront of the party’s campaign. Among them are Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh, veteran Congress leader Ambika Soni, former Union Minister Ajay Maken, and senior leader Salman Khurshid. Notably, the inclusion of younger faces like Kanhaiya Kumar and dynamic leaders like Sachin Pilot underscores the party’s strategy to appeal to a broad spectrum of voters.
Additionally, leaders from neighboring states such as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi have been enlisted, reflecting the Congress’s intent to leverage regional leadership experience. The Congress party has also fielded its strong local leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including Ghulam Ahmad Mir and Vikar Rasool Wani, to connect with the electorate on ground realities.
This election, held in three phases—on September 18, September 25, and October 1—will be significant, as it will be the first Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since 2014, and the first after the region’s reorganization in 2019. The Congress has formed an alliance with the National Conference to strengthen its position, and the ballots from these phases will be counted on October 8.
The presence of such a diverse and experienced group of campaigners signals the Congress party’s commitment to a robust electoral performance in Jammu and Kashmir, as it seeks to regain influence in the region’s political landscape. The party’s strategic deployment of its top brass and regional heavyweights aims to resonate with a wide range of voters, from the grassroots to the national level.
Here is the complete list of Congress’ star campaigners for the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir polls:
1. Mallikarajun Kharge
2. Rajani Patil
3. Sonia Gandhi
4. Rajiv Shukla
5. Rahul Gandhi
6. Manish Tewari
7. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
8. Imran Pratapgarhi
9. K.C. Venugopal
10. Kishori Lal Sharma
11. Ajay Maken
12. Ranjit Ranjan
13. Ambika Soni
14. Raman Bhalla
15. Bharatsinh Solanki
16. Tarachand
17. Tariq Hameed Karra
18. Chaudhary Lal Singh
19. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
20. Peerzada Mohd. Sayeed
21. Jairam Ramesh
22. Imran Masood
23. Ghulam Ahmad Mir
24. Pawan Khera
25. Sachin Pilot
26. Supriya Shrinate
27. Mukesh Agnihotri
28. Kanhaiya Kumar
29. Charanjit Singh Channi
30. Manoj Yadav
31. Salman Khurshid
32. Shahnawaz Chaudhary
33. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa
34. Rajesh Lilothia
35. Amrinder Singh Raja Warring
36. Alka Lamba
37. Syed Nasir Hussain
38. Srinivas B.V.
39. Vikar Rasool Wani
40. Neeraj Kundan