Will Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia contest Haryana assembly polls? Meeting with Rahul Gandhi adds fuel to the buzz

Olympian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on September 4 amid speculation of the two athletes contesting the upcoming Haryana assembly elections.

The elections to 90-member Haryana assembly are scheduled on October 5.

Vinesh was in news recently when she reached the final of the women's 50kg event at the Paris OlYmpics but was disqualified before the final after breaching the 50kg weight limit. A day after her disqualification, she announced her decision to retire from wrestling. She also made a plea to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to award her a joint silver medal.

There have been reports of Vineesh and Bajrang joining the Congress party ahead of Haryana assembly polls. The two wrestlers might join the party today, according to news agency ANI. 

Congress sources say that Vinesh Phogat will contest from Julana and Bajrang Punia to contest from Badli seat, even as an official announcement is awaited. 

On September 3, AICC general secretary in-charge of state Deepak Babaria talked about the possibility of wrestlers Haryana polls on Congress ticket. Babaria said that 41 seats were discussed in the CEC meeting on Tuesday, adding that there was no discussion on either Vinesh or Bajrang’s candidature in the meeting.

“You will get clarity by tomorrow,” he told news agency PTI.

In May last year, Vinesh Phogat was among popular Indian wrestlers who had participated in the protest against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexually harassing several women wrestlers.

Last week, Phogat reached the farmers' protest site at Shambhu border, extending her support to farmers and saying she, as a "daughter," stands with them and prays to God so that farmers get their rights and justice.

Phogat refused to be drawn into speculation about her entering the political arena and called herself an athlete and belong to the whole nation and had "nothing to do with upcoming state assembly polls."

"I am an athlete; I belong to the entire country. I have nothing to do with which state is going to the polls. All I know is that my country is suffering, farmers are in trouble. Their issues should be resolved and it should be the first priority of the Government to resolve this," she said.

When reporters asked if she would contest the Haryana elections, if Congress offers her ticket, wrestler Vinesh Phogat said, "I will not speak on this, I will not talk about politics. I have come to my family. If you talk about this, you would waste their struggle and fight. The focus is not on me today. The focus should be on the farmers, I request this."

(With ANI inputs)