Congress party on Friday released the first list of 31 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana. Former Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, has entered the Congress and is running from Julana. Bhupinder Hooda, a former chief minister of Haryana, is running from the Garhi Sampla Kiloi constituency in the Haryana Assembly elections.
AICC incharge of Haryana Deepak Babaria earlier gave indications that Phogat will be fielded from Julana.
"I think it has been decided that she will contest from Julana," he said. Answering queries, he said no MP has been permitted to contest the assembly elections. Asked about alliance talks with AAP for Hayana polls, Babaria said that there is no development as of now.
"I got calls from them but I was not able to attend those calls because of our own meetings. I will speak to them now. Every political party express their opinion, tries to create pressure. I can't say anything about the alliance right now. It is still under consideration," he said.
In a big boost to Congress, Olympian wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress earlier in the day. Punia and Phogat joined the party in the presence of Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, party leader Pawan Khera, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan, and Babaria.
Vinesh Phogat recalled women wrestlers' fight over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. "The fight is continuing, it hasn't ended yet. It's in Court. We will win that fight as well... With the new platform that we are getting today, we will work for the service of the nation," she said.
"When we were being dragged on the road, all parties except the 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'...," she added.
The two well-known wrestlers joined the Congress almost a month before the Haryana assembly polls. Polling for the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 5 and votes will be counted on October 8. The wrestlers resigned from their respective positions in Northern Railways earlier in the day.
Punia won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, while Vinesh Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final. Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling a short while after she was disqualified from the Paris Olympic Games after being found overweight by about 100 gm in her 50-kg category weigh-in ahead of the gold medal match. Bajrang Punia has been appointed working president of Kisan Congress.
(With inputs from ANI)
