Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia Join Congress Ahead Of Haryana Polls

Indian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined Congress on Friday amid speculation of them entering the party and contesting the upcoming Haryana assembly elections. Phogat resigned from the Railways hours before joining Congress along with Bajrang Punia.

On joining Congress, Vinesh Phogat thanked the party, saying "When we were being dragged on the road, all parties except BJP were with us. I feel proud that I have joined a party which stands with women and is ready to fight from 'sadak to sansad"

"Kehte hain na ki bure time mein pata lagta hai ki apna kaun hai [they say bad times make you realise who is yours who isn't]," Vinesh Phogat said.

Vinesh Phogat was employed as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) with Northern Railways.

Sources cited by news agency PTI said that whether one of them will contest or both would contest would become clear soon.

Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress in the presence of party's general secretary KC Venugopal, party leader Pawan Khera, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan and AICC in-charge of Haryana, Deepak Babaria.

"Serving Indian Railways has been a memorable and proud time of my life," she posted on X with a picture of her resignation letter. She added: "At this point in my life, I have decided to separate myself from the railway service and have submitted my resignation to the competent authorities of the Indian Railways.

“I will always be grateful to the Indian Railway family for this opportunity given to me by the Railways in the service of the nation," she said.

The 30-year-old wrestler had quit wrestling following her controversial disqualification from the 50kg gold medal match in the Paris Olympics. She had appealed against the decision which was rejected by Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who spearheaded the wresters' protest over allegations of sexual harassment against former BJP MP and ex-Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Wednesday. The Congress had put out a photograph of Gandhi with Phogat and Punia on its official X handle.

The trio of Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Malikkh had launched the agitation against Brij Bhushan in January this year, aggressively pushing for a change of guard in the WFI.

Bajrang 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 overweight by about 100 gm in her 50-kg category weigh-in.

The Congress and AAP are engaged in seat-sharing talks for the Haryana Assembly polls with hard bargaining from both sides.

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Voting on 90 assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and counting of votes will be undertaken on October 8.