Haryana Poll Dangal: Vinesh Phogat & Bajrang Punia Meet Rahul Gandhi, Joining Congress On The Cards?

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi met with wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, sparking speculation about both wrestlers potential entry into the Congress party. This meeting coincided with the Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) finalising its list of candidates for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.

Deepak Babaria, AICC general secretary in charge of the state, on Tuesday said that 41 seats were discussed in the CEC meeting. He further added that there was no discussion on either Vinesh or Bajrang’s candidature “Vinesh Phogat’s or Bajrang Punia’s names are not among them. I think, there will be clarity over this by the day after tomorrow,” 

Earlier Phogat, who reached the final of the 50 kg category at the Paris Olympics but was disqualified for being overweight, declined to comment on making her entry in politics. She spoke about her focus on being an athlete and stated, "I belong to the whole country. I have nothing to do with the state elections. What matters most is addressing the suffering of our country, especially the issues facing farmers. The government should prioritize resolving these problems."

What happens if Vinesh Phogat enters politics?

If Phogat does decides to join politics then the controversy surrounding former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan exploring athletes is likely to come into the picture. Along with Vinesh, Tokyo Olympics bronze medalists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, led protests in 2023 demanding action.

Legislative assembly elections in Haryana are scheduled to be held on October 5, 2024. The polls will be held to elect 90 members of the Haryana assembly. The counting of votes and the results will be held on October 8, 2024.