Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who joined the Congress along with Bajrang Punia on Friday, was immediately fielded by the party for the Haryana Assembly elections.

Vinesh will contest from Julana in Jind district, according to the first list of
candidates released by the Congress.

Bajrang was appointed working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress, which indicates that he is unlikely to be fielded for the state elections.

The wrestler duo had reached the Congress headquarters after meeting party president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence. Before meeting Kharge, they had tendered their resignations to the railways.

However, by the time they got to the Congress headquarters, both claimed to have received showcause notices from the railways asking them to explain their meeting with Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, earlier this
week. This was disclosed by AICC general secretary in charge of organisation K.C. Venugopal, who welcomed them to the party at a media conference.

The showcause notices could upend the Congress’s plans as it indicates the possibility of the government not relieving the duo easily. They will not be able to contest without relieving orders.

Asking whether it was a crime for anyone to meet the LoP, Venugopal urged the railways to complete the formalities at the earliest and relieve them. Vinesh has requested that she be relieved immediately, adding that she will deposit a month’s salary in lieu of the notice period.

During their brief interaction with the media, both wrestlers recalled how the Congress was one of the first parties to stand within them during their agitation against then Wrestling Federation of India chief and former BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh last year.

Referring to allegations by the Right-wing ecosystem that the wrestlers had been doing politics during their agitation, Bajrang said: “We had sent letters to every woman BJP MP during the protest seeking their support for the girls but they did not respond. The Congress came without batting an eyelid.”

Asked if she sees a conspiracy in the loss of her medal, Vinesh said she would reply to this and all other related questions when she can manage her emotions on the subject better. “I will speak about it in detail someday. Have patience. I will have to prepare myself emotionally to talk about it.”

On leaving the agitation against sexual harassment of women wrestlers halfway, Vinesh said she would see that fight to the end. “We will take that fight to its logical conclusion,” she said even as her comrade in arms, Sakshee Malikkh, said her priority was to ensure that women wrestlers of the country did not have to face sexual harassment.