Hours after joining Congress, Vinesh Phogat bags Haryana poll ticket from Julana

Phogat earlier in the day was accompanied by fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia in joining the Congress party. Both were seen at the forefront of a protest against BJP leader and former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment charges.

Phogat was recently disqualified from the Paris 2024 Olympics wrestling competition for being overweight in the women’s 50kg category on the morning of her gold medal bout.

Earlier in the day, both the athletes met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge before joining the grand old party of the country.

As per the Congress's list of candidates for the upcoming Haryana polls released this evening, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will contest from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi and state unit chief Udai Bhan from Hodal, said the party as it released a list of 31 names for the polls.

Congress' Mewa Singh will square off against Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Ladwa.

Surender Panwar will contest from Sonipat, Bharat Bhushan Batra from Rohtak, Kuldeep Vats from Badli, Chiranjeev Rao from Revari and Neeraj Sharma from Faridabad NIT.

Speaking to reporters, Phogat said: "I thank the Congress very much because it is only in bad times that we realise who is our own." "When we were being dragged on the road, all of you were with us except BJP. You were able to understand our pain and tears," she said.

She said she would stand in support of women in society.

Meanwhile,  Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Bajrang Punia as the Working Chairman of the All India Kisan Congress, with immediate effect.

Congress is currently in seat-sharing talks with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with whom it has allied over the 90 seats in Haryana. There is hard bargaining going on from both sides.

Haryana will go to polls in a single phase on October 5 and the counting of votes will take place on October 8.