Haryana assembly election: The Congress Central Election Committee is expected to finalize the names on Wednesday or Thursday.
Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are expected to run as Congress candidates in the Haryana assembly elections from the Julana and Badli seats, respectively, according to party sources. The Congress Central Election Committee is set to approve the names on Wednesday or Thursday.
Sources revealed that Vinesh Phogat preferred to contest from the Julana seat, but the Congress initially proposed that she run from a different seat near Gurugram.
The Congress CEC has approved candidates for 66 out of 90 seats so far, with Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia’s names absent from the list.
This development follows a meeting between Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday, fueling speculation that the two star wrestlers might be fielded by the party in the Haryana assembly election.
The Congress has remained tight-lipped about their potential candidacies. AICC general secretary in-charge of Haryana, Deepak Babaria, mentioned on Tuesday that there would be clarity on the matter by Thursday.
The Congress shared a photo of Rahul Gandhi with Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia on its official X handle.
Both Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat were involved in the 2023 protests against former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faced sexual harassment allegations.
Voting for Haryana’s 90 assembly seats is scheduled for October 5, with the counting of votes set for October 8.
