Vinesh, Bajrang call on Rahul Gandhi amid talks of debut in Haryana polls (Ld)

New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, on Wednesday, met the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi here with speculations of Vinesh contesting Haryana Assembly polls on a Congress ticket intensifying.

Their meeting comes a day after the Congress’ Central Election Committee (CEC) convened to finalise the list of candidates for the October 5 elections.

It is learnt that Congress may offer either the Charkhi Dadri or Julana seat to Vinesh Phogat.

Sources said the CEC has shortlisted 59 candidates, comprising 27 of party’s 28 sitting legislators, amidst talks of the Congress have a pre-poll alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Commenting on the ongoing speculations regarding Phogat’s political future, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Haryana, Deepak Babaria, said that the final list of candidates would be released by September 4.

But he had clarified that there was no discussion on either Vinesh or Bajrang’s candidature at the meeting.

Sources said that AAP is demanding at least 10 seats, while Congress is offering only seven.

However, the ruling BJP in the state launched a scathing attack on the potential alliance between Congress and AAP, saying “it is the weaker organisation that feels the need to make compromises.”

Ever since Vinesh Phogat, 29, who missed out on an Olympic medal in Paris after she was disqualified for being overweight hours before her final bout in the 50 kg category, returned to India, Congress leaders have been meeting her. Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda was the first politician to reach IGI Airport in Delhi to welcome her.

Vinesh Phogat, on August 23 met Deepender Hooda and his father and two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda along with her wrestler husband Somvir Rathee at the Congress leaders’ residence in Delhi.

Vinesh Phogat had also joined protesting farmers at the Shambhu protest site on the Punjab and Haryana border on August 31. When asked about contesting the Haryana elections, she replied: “I will not talk about politics. I have come to meet my family.”

With as many as 2,556 leaders expressing their interest in getting tickets for the polls, the Congress is actively finalising the names, sources said.

The elections in Haryana are scheduled to take place in a single phase on October 5, with the counting of votes set for October 8.

–IANS

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