Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia meet Rahul Gandhi amid Congress tickets buzz ahead of Haryana assembly election

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday amid speculation that they might contest the upcoming Haryana assembly elections, scheduled for October 5, on the party tickets, news agency ANI reported citing sources. They are likely to resign from their current positions, ANI added.

Earlier, after returning from the Paris Olympics, Vinesh Phogat had met with former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who said the Congress welcomes anyone who wants to join the party.

Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia also met with Congress general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal in New Delhi on Wednesday. The ace wrestler retired after being disqualified as she was found overweight ahead of her gold medal bout at the Paris Olympics.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party is aiming for a third consecutive term in the the Haryana election, while the Congress seeks to reclaim power from the ruling party.

On Saturday, the Election Commission of India rescheduled the Haryana assembly election, moving the polling date to October 5 from the previously planned October 1.

Vinesh joins farmers' protest at Shambhu border

Vinesh Phogat recently joined farmers at the Shambhu border as their protest for a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) marked its 200th day on August 31.

When asked if she would run in the elections if Congress nominated her from Haryana, the Indian wrestler responded, “I don't want to talk about it. I have come to meet my family members (farmers) and if you spin it, their fight and struggle will be wasted. The focus shouldn't be on me, but on the farming community. I am a sportsperson and a citizen of India; elections are not my concern. My only focus is on the welfare of farmers,” she told reporters.

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Earlier, former Haryana chief minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda dismissed speculations about Vinesh Phogat joining the Congress, calling it a “hypothetical question.”

A prominent athlete and supporter of the farmers' movement, Vinesh was honoured by the farmers on Saturday. The past month has been challenging for her, as she reached the final of the women's 50kg event but returned to India without a medal.