Vinesh, Bajrang will join Congress at 1:30 pm today
Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are set to join the India National Congress at 1:30 pm today, prior to the Haryana Assembly elections. The development occurred shortly after the two wrestlers had a meeting with the party’s leader, Rahul Gandhi, in New Delhi on September 4.
Following the meeting with the political leader and the star Olympians, there was much speculation about the decision to join the political party.
Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat were among the wrestlers who protested against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former BJP MP and then chief of Wrestling Federation of India, for allegedly harassing several young junior wrestlers.
Following the meerting between Gandhi and the wrestlers, several opposition ministers voiced their opinions. BJP MP and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar believed that our athletes were caught in a political situation during the protests.
“What began in the past is now coming to a peak. The wrestlers’ demonstrations had a political agenda. These wrestlers are requesting a pass from Congress. This indicates the presence of a connection. If there was any confusion before, it is now fully transparent,” news agency ANI reported
Also read: Haryana Assembly Elections: BJP releases first candidate list
The inclusion could boost Jat voter support for Congress
Congress has acted swiftly to secure the candidates in anticipation of benefiting from the anti-incumbency sentiment growing in the state. The participation of the two experienced wrestlers in politics could also assist Congress in increasing Jat voter support.
In a recent incident, Phogat was disqualified from winning an Olympic medal, leading to a proposal from Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda to offer her a Rajya Sabha seat as a token of appreciation, but she was deemed ineligible due to her age.
The Haryana Assembly elections will take place on October 5, 2024, and the results will be counted on October 8.
