Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, along with leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Bhupinder Hooda, Kumari Selja, and Randeep Singh Surjewala, are among the 40 key campaigners for the party in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.
Notably, Olympian-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who recently joined the Congress after leading the wrestlers’ protest against former BJP MP and ex-Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, have also been included in the list of star campaigners.
Other prominent figures on the campaign list include Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Haryana affairs in-charge Deepak Babaria, State unit president Udai Bhan, and leaders such as Ajay Maken, Birender Singh, Anand Sharma, and Sachin Pilot.
Former chief ministers Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, and Charanjit Singh Channi are also part of the campaign team. Additionally, Punjab Congress President Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Partap Singh Bajwa, Pawan Khera, Deepender Singh Hooda, Rajiv Shukla, Supriya Shrinate, Srinivas B V, and Subhash Batra are listed among the senior leaders.
Hisar and Sonipat MPs Jai Prakash and Satpal Brahamchari, along with Imran Pratapgarhi, Raj Babbar, Kanhaiya Kumar, and Ajay Singh Yadav, are also part of the Congress’ star campaigners.
Haryana’s 90 Assembly constituencies are set to go to the polls on October 5, with results to be announced on October 8. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aiming for a third consecutive term, faces a strong challenge from the Congress, which hopes to capitalise on anti-incumbency sentiment.
Governor dissolves Haryana Assembly
Governor Bandaru Dattatreya on Thursday exercised his powers under Article 174(2)(b) of the Constitution to dissolve the Haryana Legislative Assembly. This move came after a recommendation from the council of ministers, headed by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who advised the early dissolution to avert a possible constitutional crisis.
The recommendation for dissolution was put forward to avoid the necessity of convening the House before the end of the six-month period that follows the Assembly’s most recent meeting, as mandated by the Constitution. The State Assembly last met on March 13, with the next session required to take place by September 12.
First Published: Sep 13 2024 | 4:38 PM IST
