Both met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi amid talk of wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia contesting the Haryana assembly elections. There are indications that these two will contest the elections. After meeting Rahul, both went to meet Congress National General Secretary KC Venugopal. According to Congress sources, the party has offered tickets to both the wrestlers. Vinesh has been given an option of 3 seats and Bajrang 2 seats. However, Congress state in-charge Deepak Babria said on Tuesday that Vinesh Phogat will take the decision to contest the election. The situation regarding this will be clear on Wednesday. According to party sources, the Congress is trying to take advantage of the wrestlers' agitation against the BJP by fielding both of them as candidates in the assembly elections. Now Congress is waiting for Vinesh Phogat to say yes. Congress has received positive signals about Bajrang Punia contesting the election, but the matter rests on Vinesh. Vinesh offered these 3 seats According to Congress sources, out of the 3 seats offered to Vinesh Phogat, the first 2 seats are Badra in Dadri and Charkhi Dadri. She is a resident of Balali village of this district. If Vinesh agrees for Dadri, he might face a matchup against his cousin Dangal girl Babita Phogat. Babita contested from here in 2019 on a BJP ticket, but lost. This time too she is a contender for the ticket. Vinesh has been given the third option of Jindni Julana seat. Here is Vinesh Phogat's father-in-law. Offer of these 2 seats to Bajrang According to Congress sources, Bajrang Punia has also been offered two seats. Bajrang is keen to contest from Sonepat, but Congress wants to give ticket to incumbent MLA Surendra Pawar from here. Pawar is currently in jail in an ED case. If he does not contest, his son or daughter-in-law may get the ticket. By canceling his ticket, the Congress does not want to signal that it has abandoned the leader in times of trouble. Bajrang has also shown interest in the replacement seat of Jhajjar, but the Congress has finalized the ticket of incumbent MLA Kuldeep Vats from here. Vats is a big Brahmin face, so Congress does not want to disturb the Brahmin vote bank by cutting his ticket. Bajrang has been given the option of Bahadurgarh and Bhiwani by the Congress. Both these are Jat dominated seats. Bhupendra Hooda advocates for ticket According to Congress sources, Bhupendra Hooda advocated for the ticket of Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia in the Central Election Committee meeting. Hooda said that by standing with the wrestlers, the support of the people in Haryana would go in favor of the Congress. The Central Election Committee agreed to this after discussion. However, the decision of contesting or not and choosing the seat has been left to Vinesh and Bajrang. Airport welcome by Dipendra Hooda Vinesh, who missed out on a medal after winning 3 fights in one day at the Paris Olympics, was given a grand welcome from the Delhi airport to his village Balali on his return to India on August 17. MP Dipendra Singh Hooda came to receive him at the airport and then proceeded to Gurugram in his convoy. After this Khap Panchayats are honoring him by inviting him to different districts of the state. He has been honored at many places in Jhajjar, Rohtak, Jind and Dadri districts. Vinesh has also joined the ongoing farmers' movement against the central government. Vinesh-Bajrang led protests against Brij Bhushan In 2023, women wrestlers accused the then president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, of sexual harassment. Wrestlers led by Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik staged a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. This dharna lasted for about 140 days. Vinesh Phogat wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which he said he would return the medal. Earlier, wrestler Sakshi Malik had announced his retirement from the sport. Wrestler Bajrang Punia also kept his Padma Shri award outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's house.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
Will Bajrang Punia-Vinesh Phogat Enter Politics?: Meet Rahul Gandhi Amid Election Speculation; Congress offered the ticket
