In politics, every picture carries its own significance and story, especially when it surfaces just before an election. A photo of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi with wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat has gone viral on social media. This meeting is being linked to the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, with speculation that Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat might join Congress.
This isn’t the first time Rahul Gandhi and Bajrang Punia have met. Earlier, when Rahul visited Haryana, he met Bajrang and even sparred with him in the akhara (wrestling arena). Now, with the Haryana elections approaching, Congress seems eager to recover from past losses and win more seats. They are gearing up with preparations from the grassroots to the top level.
Rumors and Discussions
There are rumors that Congress has approached Vinesh Phogat to ask which seat she would like to contest. Congress has reportedly offered her two options: Badhra and Dadri, both in the Charkhi Dadri region. Interestingly, Babita Phogat, another wrestler and Vinesh’s cousin, contested the 2019 elections from the Dadri seat on a BJP ticket but finished third. Now, if Vinesh contests from this seat, it could lead to a face-off between the two cousins.
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As for Bajrang Punia, he has expressed interest in the Badli Assembly seat. However, the sitting MLA from this seat, Kuldeep Vats, is a Brahmin leader, and Congress is hesitant to replace him. Instead, Bajrang has been offered options like Bahadurgarh, Bhiwani, or any other Jat-dominated seat in Haryana. Now, it’s up to Bajrang Punia to decide which seat he would like to contest.
This picture and the subsequent discussions indicate potential moves in Haryana’s political landscape, especially with the involvement of popular sports figures like Bajrang and Vinesh.