Phogat, Punia meet Rahul, likely to contest Har polls

New Delhi: Wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi here on Wednesday with sources saying that they are likely to contest the upcoming Haryana assembly polls on the party’s ticket.

Sources said deliberations are on to finalise the seats for the two wrestlers with Julana and Badli seats under consideration for Phogat and Punia respectively.

The Congress put out a photograph of Gandhi with Phogat and Punia on its official X handle. AICC general secretary in-charge Haryana Deepak Babaria had on Tuesday said there will be clarity on the candidature of two wrestlers by Thursday.

Punia is a Tokyo Games bronze medallist, while Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final, the stage where she was disqualified after being found over weight by about 100 gm in her 50-kg category weigh-in. She subsequently announced her retirement from the sport. The Congress’s central election committee has cleared the names of candidates for 66 seats out of 90 till Tuesday.

Punia and Phogat were part of the protest over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and then Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in 2023. The Congress and AAP are engaged in seat-sharing talks for the Haryana Assembly polls with hard bargaining from both sides. Voting on 90 assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and counting of votes will be undertaken on October 8.