The Congress party on Friday released the first list of 31 candidates for the Haryana polls. Wrestler Vinesh Phogat will be contesting from the Julana seat, while former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda will be contesting from the Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency.
State unit chief Udai Bhan will be contesting from Hodal, also Congress has fielded Mewa Singh from Ladwa to take on Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
The party has also fielded Surender Panwar from Sonipat, Bharat Bhushan Batra from Rohtak, Kuldeep Vats from Badli, Chiranjeev Rao from Revari and Neeraj Sharma from Faridabad NIT.
#HaryanaPolls2024 | Congress releases its first list of candidates for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024
Vinesh Phogat to contest from Julana, and Bhupinder Singh Hooda from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi pic.twitter.com/0GJzcEBvla
The Congress’ Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Friday finalised the first list of candidates for the upcoming Haryana Assembly polls.
ALSO READ | Why wrestlers joining Congress ahead of Haryana Assembly polls is politically important
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Haryana Deepak Babaria, and party general secretary in-charge organisation K. C. Venugopal attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, Congress is also engaged in seat-sharing talks with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the Haryana polls, with tight bargaining going on from both sides. Over the last few days, hectic consultations took place between both parties over possible alliance ahead of the polls.
#WATCH | Delhi | On joining Congress, Vinesh Phogat says, "I thank Congress party...Kehte hain na ki bure time mein pata lagta hai ki apna kaun hai...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… pic.twitter.com/FIV1FLQeXa
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024
However, it is yet to be seen if a tie-up is possible amid dissenting voices within both parties.
Wrestlers Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who joined the Congress on Friday, were at the forefront of the wrestlers’ protest against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh last year. After joining the party, Phogat said "not being scared or backing off".
Both wrestlers quit their Railway posts before joining the party.
The 90-member Haryana Assembly is scheduled to go to polls on October 5 and the counting of votes will be undertaken on October 8.
Brij Bhushan reacts to wrestlers joining Congress
Brij Bhushan downplayed the wrestlers’ entry into politics and said any BJP candidate will defeat them in Haryana polls. He also offered to campaign in the upcoming assembly elections if BJP decides.
While speaking to the reporters at his residence in Vishnoharpur, he said "These wrestlers made a name in the sport and became famous on the strength of wrestling. Now after joining Congress, their name will be erased.”
Bhushan also criticised the wrestlers saying they “consider politics to be a wind.”
He also claimed that he would get maximum supper from the people of their community if the BJP directed him to campaign in the Haryana assembly elections.
