Gandhi family, Gehlot, Baghel, Kanhaiya among Congress' star campaigners in Gujarat

Gujarat: The Indian National Congress (INC) on Tuesday announced its list of star campaigners for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.
Big names of the party including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party MP Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, CM Ashok Gehlot, CM Bhupesh Baghel, Sachin Pilot, Jignesh Mevani, Kanhaiya Kumar are among the star campaigners of the party. The Congress party has announced the names of 40 people in its star campaigners list. The list also includes the names of former CMs of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, and Congress Rajya Sabha MP, Digvijaya Singh. The list has the name of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former CM of Haryana and former CM of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan.

The list includes several other names including Ramesh Chennithala, Tariq Anwar, BK Hariprasad, Mohan Prakash, Shaktisinh Gohil, Dr Raghu Sharma, Congress MP Jagdish Thakor, Sukhram Rathva, and Shivajirao Moghe.
Apart from the leaders mentioned above, the list includes the names of Bharatsinh M Solanki, Arjun Modhwadia, Siddharth Patel (son of former Gujarat CM Chimanbhai Patel), Amit Chavda, Naranbhai Rathwa, activist and MLA Jignesh Mevani, Chairman of Congress's Media and Publicity Dept Pawan Khera, Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi, Indravijaysinh Gohil, Kantilal Bhuria, Naseem Khan, Rajesh Lilothia, Paresh Dhanani, Virender Singh Rathore, Usha Naidu, Ramkishan Ojha, B.M. Sandeep, Anant Patel, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Kanhaiya Kumar, former JNU Student's Union president.

Notably, the Congress party in Gujarat is facing challenges of its party members jumping ship to the BJP as the polls are nearing. Some notable names to jump ship include Himanshu Vyas, incharge of the Indian Overseas Congress, who joined the BJP.
Before this, the Congress MLA Bhagvanbhai D Barad tendered his resignation from all posts of the Congress party. In another significant jolt, veteran Congress leader and 11 times MLA Mohansinh Rathva, a prominent tribal leader, along with his sons Rajubhai, Ranjit Bhai, and other members joined the BJP. Another Congress MLA from Jhalod, Bhavesh Katara resigned from the party.
The state will go to the polls in two phases on December 1 and 5. In the first phase, polling will be held for 89 seats while the second phase will see voting for 93 seats. The results will be declared on December 8. The term of the 182-member state Assembly ends on February 18, 2023.
The Congress party has announced a total of 104 out of the 182 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections.
The Congress on November 14th appointed zonal and Lok Sabha constituency-wise observers for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls.
Gujarat has seen a traditional face-off between the ruling BJP and its rival Congress party. However, in the upcoming elections a new entrant, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is being keenly watched in the poll fray.

BJP has been in power in the state for the last 27 years and the state is considered as a BJP bastion.
Gujarat has been a BJP bastion for decades and the party is seeking its seventh term in office.
The Congress party on Saturday, 12th of November, released the election manifesto for the Gujarat Assembly elections with 11 commitments. (ANI)