Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia to join Congress today ahead of Haryana election

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia will be joining the India National Congress at 1:30 pm today, ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections. The development comes mere days after the two wrestlers met with the party's leader, Rahul Gandhi, in New Delhi on September 4.

Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia

After the meeting between the political leader and the star Olympians, the move to join the political party was widely speculated.

Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat were amongst the number of wrestlers who protested against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former BJP MP and then chief of Wrestling Federation of India, who they accused of harassing several young junior wrestlers.

After the meeting between Gandhi and the wrestlers, various opposition ministers spoke out. BJP MP and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was one of them, saying: "I think our athletes got trapped in a political maze during the protests. What started back then is reaching its climax now. The wrestlers' protests were politically motivated. These people (wrestlers) are seeking a ticket from the Congress. This means that there is a nexus. If it wasn't clear then, it is absolutely clear now," news agency ANI reported.

Congress has been quick to secure the candidates as they hope to capitalise on the anti-incumbency sentiment stirring in the state. The entry of the two veteran wrestlers into electoral politics could also help Congress boost Jat votes.

Last month, when Phogat tragically missed out on an Olympic medal due to disqualification, the Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda proposed offering her a Rajya Sabha seat in recognition of her achievements; Phogat, however, was ineligible due to her age.

The polling date for the Haryana Assembly elections is October 5, 2024, with the counting day on October 8.