Olympians Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat Join Congress Ahead of Haryana Assembly Elections

Congress MLA Bishan Lal Saini expressed joy over receiving a ticket from Radaur. Olympians Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat joined Congress, boosting the party ahead of Haryana polls. Vinesh will contest from Julana. Voting for Haryana's 90-member assembly is set for October 5, with results on October 8.

Congress MLA Bishan Lal Saini expressed his joy at receiving a ticket to contest the Radaur assembly seat. He committed to continuing development projects in Radaur and predicted a sweeping victory for Congress. "I am very happy that my name is there in the list (for Haryana Assembly polls). Receiving a ticket is not an easy thing. I got the ticket, and I am very happy. I believe we will win by more seats. We will carry forward the development works in Radaur," Saini said.

In a significant boost for Congress, Olympian wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat joined the party on Friday. Vinesh Phogat will run for the Julana assembly seat in Haryana. Their induction was featured in Congress' first list of 31 candidates for the upcoming polls.

Punia and Phogat joined in the presence of party general secretary KC Venugopal, leader Pawan Khera, and Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan. Vinesh Phogat highlighted the ongoing battle over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and ex-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 stated.

Polling for Haryana's 90-member assembly is scheduled for October 5, with vote counting on October 8. Punia and Phogat resigned from Northern Railways on Friday. In response to their move, Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli said, "Players are the pride of our country. We don't do politics on them. They will work as members of Congress after joining."

Punia claimed a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and Vinesh Phogat was the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final. Notably, the Congress' Central Election Committee met at AICC headquarters on Friday to finalize candidate lists. The session, chaired by INC President Mallikarjun Kharge, included Sonia Gandhi and KC Venugopal; it concluded with the release of the initial 31-candidate list.

(With inputs from agencies.)