Page 2 - Vinesh Phogat

Hooda, Phogat, Dhankar, others file nominations for Haryana Assembly polls

Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda filed his nomination for the Haryana Assembly polls from his traditional stronghold Garhi Sampla Kiloi seat in Rohtak on Wednesday and sought people's support in ousting the BJP from power in the "do or die battle". Another Congress candidate and wrestler Vinesh Phogat, a political greenhorn, filed her nomination papers from the Julana seat. Besides them, Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, former state home minister Anil Vij, BJP leader O P Dhankar, Congress' Brijendra Singh and the AAP's Anurag Dhanda were among other candidates who filed their nominations on Wednesday. Thursday is the last day of filing of nominations. Voting for the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 5 and votes will be counted on October 8. Bhupinder Hooda, a former chief minister, was accompanied by his wife Asha Hooda, son Deepender Hooda and daughter-in-law Sweta Hooda during nomination filing. A "havan" was performed before Hooda filed his papers. On th

Watch: Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat files nomination from Julana, Haryana

Olympian Vinesh Phogat on September 11, filed her nomination as a Congress candidate from Haryana's Julana assembly constituency. This comes after, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress.

Vinesh Phogat slams PT Usha's 'photo-op politics' after Paris Olympics

Indian wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat criticised Indian Olympic Association President for meeting her for optics and not showing 'genuine' support during a difficult time

Haryana Assembly elections: BJP releases second list of 21 candidates

Haryana Assembly polls: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Captain Yogesh Bairagi to contest against Congress's Olympian candidate Vinesh Phogat

Vinesh shouldn't have joined politics now, aimed for gold in 2028: Mahavir

Olympian Vinesh Phogat's uncle and celebrated wrestling coach Mahavir Phogat said her niece should not have joined politics at this stage and aimed for an Olympic gold in 2028, days after the Congress fielded her from Julana for the October 5 Haryana assembly polls. Mahavir, whose Olympian daughter Babita Phogat joined the BJP ahead of the 2019 assembly elections, exuded confidence that the party will retain power in Haryana for a third time in a row. Babita, a Commonwealth Games medal-winner freestyle wrestler who inspired the Bollywood film 'Dangal', contested the 2019 polls unsuccessfully from Dadri. Asked about Vinesh taking the political plunge by joining the Congress, Mahavir, a Dronacharya awardee, told PTI over phone that "it is her decision...these days children take their own decisions." He also claimed that when he spoke with Vinesh recently she had no intentions of joining politics. Vinesh and Olympian wrestler Bajrang Punia, who were at the forefront of the wrestlers'

Sad that sports has been politicised: Rajyavardhan on Vinesh joining Cong

I feel that in Olympics, wrestling is such sport, in which so many athletes take part and we get so many medals, this time more medals could have come if such atmosphere was not created, Rathore said

Railways accepts Phogat, Bajrang Punia's resignation effective immediately

The Railways on Monday accepted the resignations of wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, officials said. In separate notices issued on Monday, the Northern Railway said their resignations tendered on September 6 were "accepted by the competent authority with immediate effect." Both Punia and Phogat joined the Congress recently. Phogat has been given a party ticket to contest the Haryana assembly polls from the Julana constituency. The Northern Railway relaxed the provision of three-month notice period in their cases. Speculations were rife that Phogat might not be able to contest the elections in view of the notice period norm. According to election rules, she needed to get officially relieved from the Railways to be eligible to contest the October 5 polls. Now, since the Railways has relieved the two Olympians from their service, Phogat can contest the elections. The NR had earlier issued show cause notices to them after they met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi before joining

Haryana polls: BJP warns Brij Bhushan against commenting on Vinesh Phogat

The BJP has warned Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh against commenting on Vinesh Phogat and her Congress candidacy, after Singh made controversial remarks about her and Bajrang Punia

Bure time mein pata lagta hai ki apna kaun hai: Vinesh Phogat on joining Congress

Vinesh Phogat on September 6 joined the Congress party ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections.

Vinesh starts poll campaign, says 'blessings will help win each battle'

Wrestler and Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat on Sunday said she expects to win each battle with the blessings of people as kicks off her campaign for the upcoming assembly election. Phogat (30) has been fielded from the Julana assembly segment for the upcoming assembly poll. Polling in Haryana will take place on October 5 while the counting of votes for the elections to the 90-member assembly will take place on October 8. Phogat was accorded a warm welcome when she reached Julana as her supporters, including elderly people and women and members of various 'Khaps', greeted her with garlands and gave their blessings. The Congress had on Friday released its first list of 32 candidates for the Haryana Assembly polls, naming her among the party candidates. Olympians Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who were at the forefront of the wrestlers' protest against then WFI chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, entered the political arena on Friday by joining the Congress. Stand

Northern Railways initiates process to relieve wrestlers Phogat, Punia

The Northern Railway has initiated the process of accepting the resignation of wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, with both players expected to be relieved "as early as possible," railway sources said on Sunday. Both Punia and Phogat recently joined the Congress and the latter has been given a ticket to contest election from Julana assembly constituency in Haryana. "The provision of serving three-month notice period after resigning by a railway employee will not come in the way of relieving these two players as we have decided to relax the norm in their cases," a senior railway official told PTI. Railways sources said both the players "will be relieved possibly today or as early as possible." The Northern Railway (NR) had earlier issued show cause notices to them after they met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to join his party. The NR had said the show cause notice was part of the service norm as they were government employees. Following the notice, both resigned from the ..

New journey not just politics, but fight for justice, says Vinesh Phogat

Vinesh expressed her happiness after meeting the Congress leader and recounted her experience during the protest in a sexual harassment case against ex-MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh

Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia used by Cong as pawns: Brij Bhushan Singh

Wresters Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia were used by the Congress as "pawns" in their "conspiracy" to take control of the Wrestling Federation of India and attack the BJP, former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said on Saturday. A day after Olympic medallists Phogat and Punia joined the Congress, the senior BJP leader said here that he had defeated Congress leader Deepender Hooda in the 2012 election for the WFI which is why they nursed a grudge against him. Asked about Phogat and Punia, the two prominent faces of the protest against Singh over charges of sexual harassment, he said, "They were faces... they were mohrey (pawns). They were used by (former Haryana chief minister) Bhupinder Hooda, the Congress and the Congress family like pawns." "This was all conspired to gain hold on the Wrestling Federation of India and to attack the BJP and its ideology...This team of Rahul, the Congress keeps doing this thing," he told PTI Videos. When asked about Vinesh Phogat's assertions t

Haryana polls: Congress releases 1st list, fields Vinesh Phogat from Julana

Haryana Assembly elections: Congress announced its first list of 31 candidates and has fielded Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda from the Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency

Why cricketers, sportspersons rarely succeed in politics unlike film stars

It isn't just the Congress fielding sportspersons for the forthcoming Haryana Assembly polls. The BJP has fielded Deepak Hooda, former captain of India's national kabaddi team, from Maham Assembly sea

Haryana polls: Cong releases first list; fields Vinesh Phogat from Julana

The Congress on Friday released its first list of 31 candidates for the Haryana Assembly polls, fielding former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, state unit chief Udai Bhan from Hodal and wrestler Vinesh Phogat from Julana. The list was released after the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Congress met here, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Haryana Deepak Babaria and Hooda, among others, attending the meeting. Besides Hooda, Bhan and Phogat, the Congress has fielded Mewa Singh from Ladwa to take on Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The party has also fielded Surender Panwar from Sonipat, Bharat Bhushan Batra from Rohtak, Kuldeep Vats from Badli, Chiranjeev Rao from Revari and Neeraj Sharma from Faridabad NIT. Earlier, on the possibility of any MP contesting the polls, Babaria said after the CEC ..

Bajrang Punia appointed working president of All India Kisan Congress

Phogat and Punia met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence and later joined the party at the AICC headquarters on Friday

Any BJP candidate will defeat Phogat, Punia in Haryana: Brij Bhushan

Former BJP MP and ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Friday sought to downplay wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia's foray into politics, saying any BJP candidate will defeat them if they contest in Haryana and also offered to campaign in the upcoming assembly elections should his party allow. Talking to journalists at his residence Vishnoharpur, about 40 km from the district headquarters, he said, "These wrestlers made a name in the sport and became famous on the strength of wrestling. Now after joining Congress, their name will be erased.' Earlier, Phogat and Punia, who were at the forefront of the wrestlers' protest against the then WFI chief Singh, joined the Congress with a vow of "not being scared or backing off". There are indications that both or at least one might contest the October 5 assembly polls in Haryana. Reacting to this development, Singh said, "These people consider politics to be a wind. They are thinking that they will win the assembly elections fr

Railways served show cause notice to Vinesh Phogat on Sept 4: Officials

Northern Railway officials have confirmed that wrestler Vinesh Phogat was served a show cause notice on September 4, 2024 in which she was asked to clarify her position regarding joining a political party. When media reports came saying that Phogat would join the Congress party as she met Rahul Gandhi, a notice was issued to her on September 4," an official said. "She was asked to clarify her stand because being a government employee, joining a political party amounts to the violation of service rule, he added. Congress leader KC Venugopal on Friday alleged that Phogat was served a show cause notice after she resigned from the Railways, to which Himanshu Upadhyay, CPRO, Northern Railways, denied. She was not given any notice after she resigned, Upadhyay told PTI.

Vinesh Phogat & Bajrang Punia joined congress, BJP manifesto & more

Olympian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi today to formally join the party.