Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress on Wednesday and will run in next month’s Haryana Assembly election. Ms Phogat, 30, is set to run for the Julana seat, which is now held by Amarjeet Dhanda of the Jannayak Janta Party. Mr Punia, 30, will defend the Congress’ Badli seat.
This afternoon, the two met with Rahul Gandhi, a Congress MP.
Ms Phogat and Mr Punia’s joining the Congress at this time is noteworthy since the party is both nominating candidates for elections and negotiating seat-sharing with the Aam Aadmi Party.
The two high-profile acquisitions will be seen as strengthening its bargaining position, particularly since some Haryana Congress leaders have expressed reservations about an alliance with the AAP.
An ‘in-principle’ deal between the two parties was flagged last night by NDTV’s sources.
The Congress and the AAP are members of the INDIA bloc that united the opposition ahead of the April-June Lok Sabha election, but the alliance has not been a key factor in state elections since it was formed last year. Mr Gandhi appears keen to change this, understanding the opposition stands a better chance of defeating the BJP, whether at the centre or state, if it stands together.
Sources told NDTV Mr Gandhi had, therefore, pressed the Congress’ senior leaders to ally with the AAP for the Haryana election and guard against the division of votes.
Early talks last night said the AAP wants to contest 10 of the state’s 90 seats. The Congress, though, was reluctant to concede more than seven, excluding one expected to be given to the Samajwadi Party of ex Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, another INDIA bloc member.
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