Power of my name helped Vinesh Phogat win Haryana polls: Brij Bhushan
Gonda (UP), Oct 8: Former BJP MP and ex WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Tuesday said wrestler Vinesh Phogat's win in the Haryana Assembly elections is a result of the “power” of his name.
"If she wins by using my name, it means I am a great man. At least my name has enough power to help her sail through,” he said while addressing an event.
Singh said wherever Phogat goes, destruction follows her and it will happen in future too. "She may have won the election by herself but Congress is completely doomed.”
Congress candidate and wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday called her maiden electoral win from the Julana assembly seat in Haryana as "victory of struggle" and "victory of truth".
Phogat defeated her nearest rival and BJP nominee Yogesh Kumar by a margin of 6,015 votes, according to the Election Commission.
Phogat polled 65,080 votes while BJP's Kumar secured 59,065 votes.
The former chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said that “these wrestlers are not heroes but villains for Haryana”.
The condition of Congress in the country is continuously deteriorating, he said, adding "All the efforts of Rahul Gandhi are failing. Now Congress should accept that the people of the country have rejected them.”
On the lead taken by the opposition alliance INDIA bloc in the Jammu and Kashmir elections, Singh said the BJP had made an attempt to form the government there, which was not successful.
"The mood and atmosphere of the (political) weather there is different. The mandate is acceptable to us (BJP)," he said.
Phogat and wrestler Bajrang Punia were at the forefront of the wrestlers' protest against then WFI chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
After the allegations made by the women wrestlers, the BJP did not give Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh a ticket from Kaiserganj and made his son Karan Bhushan Singh the candidate.
His son Karan Bhushan Singh won the Lok Sabha polls by a margin of over 1.48 lakh votes defeating SP's Bhagat Ram.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
