West Bengal Assembly elections: Congress names 40 star campaigners for phase one

The Congress has named 40 star campaigners for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The party said senior leaders will campaign widely as it contests the elections independently. Polling is set for 23 and 29 April, with counting on 4 May.

The Congress on Monday released a list of 40 star campaigners for the first phase of the West Bengal assembly polls. The list includes party president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior figures. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are also named. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is part of the group.

A Congress leader said the party planned a wide campaign effort for the opening phase. "We have fielded a strong team of campaigners, including national leaders, to ensure that the party remains competitive in the elections,\" the leader said. The leader added that the party wanted to connect with voters in many seats during phase one.

West Bengal assembly polls dates and phases

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases. Voting is scheduled for April 23 and April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 4. The star campaigners are expected to focus on constituencies voting in the first phase.

West Bengal assembly polls and Congress state leaders

Several West Bengal Congress leaders are included in the campaign list. They include Deepa Dasmunsi and Pradip Bhattacharya. State unit chief Subhankar Sarkar is also named. MP Isha Khan Choudhury and senior leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury feature as well.

West Bengal assembly polls and Congress national leaders

The list also features leaders from outside West Bengal. Prominent names include K C Venugopal, Ghulam Ahmad Mir and Randeep Singh Surjewala. Ashok Gehlot, Salman Khurshid and Shashi Tharoor are included. Gaurav Gogoi, K L Sharma and Sudeep Roy Barman also appear.

Other leaders named are Kanhaiya Kumar and Mohammad Azharuddin. A Congress leader said the party is not aligning with partners for this election. \"We are contesting the Bengal assembly elections on our own this time, and all our senior leaders will campaign extensively.\" \"The idea is to reach out to voters across constituencies in the first phase, he told.\"

With inputs from PTI