NEW DELHI: Ace wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia formally joined the Congress on Friday at the party headquarters in Delhi, ahead of Haryana assembly elections.
Before joining the party, Phogat and Punia met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his 10 Rajaji Marg residence.
After joining the party, Vinesh Phogat acknowledged the support she received by congress during challenging times, referring to the wrestlers protest against former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
“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 with women and is ready to fight from ‘sadak to sansad’…,” she said.
She added, “The fight is continuing, it hasn’t ended yet. It’s in Court. We will win that fight as well… With the new platform that we are getting today, we will work for the service of the nation. The way we played our game with heart, we will give our best to work for our people. I want to tell my sisters, that I am with them. If there will be no one for you, I will be there, Congress party will be there. I have felt this, and I can assure you that we will be there for sure.”
Bajrang Punia, upon joining the Congress party, addressed the accusations made by the BJP IT Cell regarding his intentions to join politics. He said, “What BJP IT Cell is saying today that we just wanted to do politics…We had written to all women BJP MPs to stand with us but they still didn’t come. We are paying to raise the voices of women but now we know that BJP stands with atrocities against women, and all other parties stand with us. We will work hard to strengthen the Congress party and the nation.”
Earlier in the day, Vinesh Phogat resigned from her post as the Officer of Special Duty (OSD) in the Indian Railways, citing “personal reasons”.
Vinesh and Bajrang had a meeting with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Wednesday. The official X handle of the Congress party shared a photograph capturing Gandhi alongside Phogat and Punia.
In 2023, Punia and Phogat actively participated in the protest against former BJP MP and then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faced allegations of sexual harassment.
Punia secured a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, while Phogat made history as the first woman wrestler from India to reach the Paris Olympics final. However, in the final she faced disqualification due to being overweight by approximately 100 grams in her 50-kg category weigh-in. Following this heartbreak, Phogat announced her retirement from the sport.
The Congress and AAP are currently engaged in discussions regarding seat-sharing for the upcoming Haryana Assembly polls, with both parties engaging in intense negotiations.
The voting for the 90 assembly seats in Haryana is scheduled to take place on October 5, and the counting of votes will be conducted on October 8.
Agencies

Agencies