Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia Meeting Rahul Gandhi Gives Pace To Speculation On Wrestlers’ Political Careers

Specualtions are rife about Olympic wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joining the Congress party ahead of the Assembly polls in Haryana. The rumours were fanned after the two grapplers met with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. They also met with Congress general secretary KC Venugopal. 

According to ABP News sources, the Congress party is likely to field the two athletes in the upcoming assembly polls. While Vinesh can be given a ticket from Charkhi Dadri, Bajrang could contest the polls from Badli assembly seat. 

Initially Rahul Gandhi wanted only Bajrang to fight the polls, but Vinesh also expressed her desire to make her electoral debut, the sources added. 

Phogat was recently in the eye of a storm after she was disqualified ahead of the gold medal bout in the Women’s 50 Kg Freestyle wrestling during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. 

Reports have been doing rounds recently about Phogat’s entry into politics with Congress leaders not denying the speculations. 

Last month, Phogat met Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Later on being asked if the grappler could join Congress, Hooda said: “It is a hypothetical question. But athletes do not belong to one party alone, they are of the entire country. If anyone joins the party, you will get to know…We welcome whoever joins the party.” 

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Earlier, when Congress leader Deepak Babaria was asked the same question, he said that the party would “certainly accommodate”. 

“I don’t know if she (Vinesh Phogat) has been approached by any of our leaders but if she wants to contest (assembly elections), we welcome her and we will certainly accommodate her,” Babaria said.