Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia met with Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday during the Haryana Assembly elections. This meeting has sparked speculation about their potential candidacy.
There have been rumors that Congress might field these wrestlers in the Haryana elections. However, Congress has not confirmed this. AICC general secretary Deepak Babaria said on Tuesday that the matter will be clarified by Thursday. Congress also shared a photo of Punia and Phogat with Rahul Gandhi on its official X handle.
Congress has already approved candidates for 66 of the 90 assembly seats in Haryana as of Tuesday. While the names are not yet official, the candidate list should be released soon. Haryana voters will go to the polls on October 5, with vote counting on October 8.
Punia and Phogat were key figures in the 2023 protests against former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.