HIMACHAL BYPOLL: Channi, Kanhaiya, Pilot Cong’s star campaigners

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 9

The Congress is hoping to woo voters by roping in Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, new entrant to the party Kanhaiya Kumar, Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot and PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu as star campaigners for the October 30 bypolls to the Mandi Lok Sabha and three Assembly segments in Himachal.

It is after almost over three decades that the Congress will be facing the polls sans six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who passed away on July 8 this year. He always remained the star campaigner who swayed votes in favour of the party.

The list of 20 Congress star campaigners issued by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal has many leaders from the neighbouring state of Punjab. Besides Channi and Sidhu, Punjab minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli’s name too figures on the list. Former Union minister Anand Sharma and CWC member Rajeev Shukla, who is party in-charge for Himachal, too are expected to canvass in support of party candidates.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Singh Baghel, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh

Hooda and actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar too will try of Congress. The three Assembly segments where bypolls are to be held include Fatehpur (Kangra), Jubbal-Kotkhai (Shimla) and Arki (Solan) which fell vacant due to the demise of Virbhadra Singh.

The other star campaigners include state Congress president Kuldeep Rathore, Dhani Ram Shandil, Sanjay Dutt, Kaul Singh Thakur, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Mukesh Agnihotri, Rajinder Rana, Maj Gen Dharamvirt Singh Rana and Vikramaditya Singh.