Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia set to join Congress, meet Kharge
New Delhi (PTI): Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are set to join the Congress on Friday ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls, sources said.
Phogat and Punia met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders at his 10 Rajaji Marg, and will officially join the party at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.
"Both Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat are joining the party. Whether one of them will contest or both would contest would become clear soon," a party source said.
Also, Phogat on Friday resigned from the Indian Railways citing personal reasons.
Both Phogat and Punia had met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi here on Wednesday. The Congress had put out a photograph of Gandhi with Phogat and Punia on its official X handle.
Punia is a Tokyo Games bronze medallist, while Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final, the stage where she was disqualified after being found over weight by about 100 gm in her 50-kg category weigh-in. She subsequently announced her retirement from the sport.
Punia and Phogat were part of the protest over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in 2023.
The Congress and AAP are engaged in seat-sharing talks for the Haryana Assembly polls with hard bargaining from both sides.
Voting on 90 assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and counting of votes will be undertaken on October 8.
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Kumaraswamy demands immediate local body elections, criticises Congress government
Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has called for the immediate announcement of local body elections, accusing the Congress government in Karnataka of neglecting the democratic process.
He criticised the government for failing to hold elections for the district, taluk panchayats, and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which he described as the foundational pillars of democracy. He attacked the Congress government stating that the Congress government in the state, which has done publicity on the pretext of human chain, is not concerned about saving democracy.
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In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kumaraswamy questioned the delay in conducting local body elections despite the Congress coming to power 1 year four months ago. He sarcastically remarked on the government's focus on populist measures and media campaigns, while ignoring the essential democratic processes.
Kumaraswamy also questioned whether the Congress’ actions truly uphold the democratic principles laid down by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, suggesting that the party's priorities lie elsewhere. He demanded that the government announce the elections to "strengthen the chain of real democracy."
