Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia likely to join Congress today

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are likely to formally join Congress later today, according to TV reports.

Phogat and Punia, who have both won Gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on September 4. The meeting set off buzz that the ace grapplers may join the grand old party and get tickets for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections on October 5.

Sources told PTI that Congress was deliberating on the seats for the wrestlers. They said that the grand old party may field Phogat from Julana and Punia from Badli.

On Friday, Deepak Babaria, Congress general secretary in charge of Haryana, said there is a possibility that the wrestlers may join Congress and added that a clear picture would emerge by Thursday or Friday.

Both Phogat and Punia led the wrestlers' protests last year over sexual harassment allegations against then-Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

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.

Congress has so far cleared the names of candidates for 66 out of 90 seats in the state. It is also considering forming an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the polls.

The results of the Haryana elections will be declared on October 8.