Chandigarh: From Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ex-cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin and actor Sonu Sood, the Congress has drawn up a list of 40 star campaigners to join the state leadership in pitching for the party.

Among the state leadership, Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh will be electioneering across the state in the next two weeks, while cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has already announced his intention to give Parkash Singh Badal a massive thrashing by campaigning at his home turf in Lambi, where Amarinder Singh is pitted against the Akali leader.

The list includes several Congress chief ministers and former chief ministers from various states, as well as a host of national-level party leaders. These include Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.

Among the top Congress leaders chosen to give a boost to the Punjab Congress campaign are party general secretary and member of Parliament Ambika Soni, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and former Union ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde and Pawan Kumar Bansal.

Congress in-charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari is already camping in the state for the past several days, while Congress general secretaries Digvijay Singh and Mukul Wasnik will add their weight in the coming days.

Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot and Uttar Pradesh party president Raj Babbar have been shortlisted to strengthen the campaign in Punjab.

The list includes several sitting Congress members of Parliament and former MPs, besides All-India Mahila Congress president Shobha Oza.