Haryana Assembly Elections: After days of speculation, star wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are set to join Congress on Friday afternoon. They are expected to join the party around 2:30 pm at the AICC headquarters in Delhi. This follows widespread speculation that they might run for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections as Congress candidates. The elections are set to be held next month.
Bajrang Punia And Vinesh Phogat Met Rahul Gandhi
On September 4, both wrestlers met with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party General Secretary KC Venugopal in New Delhi. The Congress even shared a photo of Gandhi with Phogat and Punia on its official X account. Punia and Phogat had also protested in 2023 against former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.
Sources have confirmed that Phogat will run in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, while Punia will join Congress but not run for office this time. A close relative of Vinesh Phogat also confirmed her candidacy, saying, “Yes, Vinesh will contest the elections in Haryana. The party will decide the exact position. She wasn’t ready earlier, but now she wants to contribute to society and Haryana. She has endured a lot over the years, and we hope people will support her,” the source told IANS.
Vinesh Phogat Was Disqualified From Paris Olympics 2024
At the Paris Olympics, Vinesh was disqualified from the 50 kg gold medal match because she was 100 grams over the weight limit. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) also rejected her request to be given a joint silver medal. She announced her retirement from wrestling on August 8, the day after her disqualification. Since returning home, there has been a lot of speculation that she might enter politics, like her cousin Babita, who is a BJP MLA.
ECI Changed Dates For Haryana Assembly Elections
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has changed the date for the Haryana Assembly Elections from October 1 to October 5. They also moved the vote counting for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana from October 4 to October 8. This decision was made to respect the Bishnoi community’s tradition of celebrating the Asoj Amavasya festival in honor of their Guru Jambheshwar, as stated by the ECI.
