Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka among 40 star campaigners for Congress in AP

Vijayawada: The Congress party on Thursday informed the Election Commission that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are among 40 star campaigners who would canvass for the party in Andhra Pradesh for the May 13 polls.

Congress general secretary Mukul Wasnik submitted the 40 names to the poll body on Thursday, which included AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and others. Besides Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y S Sharmila, the list also includes Telangana leaders such as Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, K Venkat Reddy, D Anasuya and others, according to a copy of the letter submitted to the Election Commission.

Congress, which has been reduced to a minnow in the state's political landscape after the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in 2014 by the UPA-II, is struggling to gain a toehold ahead of the elections.