New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS): The Congress on Monday released the list of star campaigners for Manipur assembly elections and sixth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. The usual missing leaders are from the G-23 who have been overlooked again by the party.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has been UP and North East Incharge, is not in the list of star campaigners. Kapil Sibal, who is Rajya Sabha MP from UP, is also missing. MP Manish Tewari, who was not named in the Punjab star campaigners list, did not figure in the latest list, though he has roots in the same area of eastern UP where the sixth phase of polling is to be held on March 3.

Party president Sonia Gandhi's name figures in the Manipur star campaigners list though she has been keeping away from the active campaigning due to health issues, while Rahul Gandhi is in the UP and Manipur lists, but has not campaigned in UP so far. Priyanka Gandhi has held the fortress of the state and is widely campaigning in the state. Priyanka on Monday is in Mahoba region which will go to polls on February 20.

Earlier, the Congress left Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari out of the star campaigners' list of Punjab, despite him being the lone Hindu MP of the party in the state, but he is campaigning for the party candidates there.

Sources said that with Punjab having 40 per cent Hindu population and a significant number of migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Tewari would have been an ideal pick as he not only represents the Hindu community, but also strikes a chord with the migrants because of his roots in Uttar Pradesh.

His supporters are miffed with his omission from the star campaigners' list, saying that he being the only Hindu leader to get elected to the LoK Sabha from the state, what kind of message the party is trying to send across by ignoring him.

When IANS contacted him, Tewari said, "Ask those who prepared the list."

Tewari has been targeting the party leaders in his social media posts and also in public meetings which has made party uneasy in Punjab.