Congress released the first list of 32 candidates for the Haryana assembly elections on Friday in which wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been made a candidate from Julana seat. Vinesh joined the Congress party only yesterday. However, Vinesh Phogat’s uncle and coach Mahavir Phogat is opposing this. Mahavir Phogat has clearly said that he is against Vinesh Phogat’s decision to join politics.
Speaking to Tribune, Mahaveer Phogat, father of wrestlers Geeta and Babita of Dangal fame, said that he had suggested Vinesh to continue her career in wrestling. “I told her to continue wrestling and prepare again after four years keeping the Olympics in mind. The decision to join politics is her own,” he said.
He said that Vinesh still has the ability to wrestle and she should stay in the sport. Mahavir Phogat said, “I don’t want her to join politics at this stage of her career.” He said that Vinesh did not consult him before taking this decision. Mahavir Phogat said that he is not involved in politics and neither will he campaign for Vinesh. He said that he is against Congress.
Mahavir Phogat even said that if Vinesh was interested in politics then she should have joined BJP instead of Congress. By the way, Mahavir Phogat’s younger daughter Babita Phogat is already a member of BJP. She had also contested the last assembly elections from Dadri assembly constituency, but lost.
Olympian wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, who were at the forefront of the wrestlers’ protest against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, on Friday started their political innings by joining the Congress and vowed “not to be afraid and not to back down”. Hours after joining the Congress, Punia was appointed working president of the All India Kisan Congress by the party. But it is not clear whether Punia will contest the election or not. Voting for Haryana’s 90 assembly seats will be held in a single phase on October 5 and the counting of votes will take place on October 8.
