Haryana Assembly elections: Congress releases first list of 32 candidates; Vinesh Phogat to fight from Julana

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda fielded from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi; party to field all its 28 sitting MLAs

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi after joining the party on September 6, 2024. | Photo Credit: ANI

The Congress on Friday (September 6, 2024) released its first list of 32 candidates for the upcoming Assembly election in Haryana, fielding Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat from the Julana constituency, besides former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi.

Party State president Udai Bhan, who lost the Assembly election in 2019, has been declared as the party candidate from Hodal. Reposing faith in all its MLAs, the party said it would give ticket to all the 28 sitting MLAs, besides four others.

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The Congress has fielded Mewa Singh from Ladwa to take on BJP leader and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. Among others, the party has fielded Bharat Bhushan Batra from Rohtak, Kuldeep Vats from Badli, Chiranjeev Rao from Revari and Neeraj Sharma from Faridabad NIT. The party has also fielded Surender Panwar from Sonipat. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in July in an alleged illegal mining-linked money-laundering case.

Congress of doing politics in the name of athletes, youth and farmers: Haryana CM Saini

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini accused the Congress of doing politics in the name of sports after Olympians Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the party on Septermber 6, 2024. "The Congress does politics in the name of sportspersons, soldiers, farmers and youths. But in reality they don't do anything," he said. | Video Credit: The Hindu

The Congress also announced the candidature of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) rebel Ram Karan from the Shahbad reserved seat, besides Independent MLA Dharam Pal Gondar from Nilokheri. Both had switched over to the Congress camp recently.

The Congress released its candidates’ list after the party’s central election committee (CEC) met in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary in-charge organisation K.C. Venugopal, among others.

Ms. Phogat, who became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final, and had been at the forefront of protests against the then Wrestling Federation of India president and former BJP MP, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, joined the Congress earlier in the day.

The election to the 90-seat Haryana Assembly is slated for October 5. Votes will be counted on October 8.

For the Congress, the main Opposition party in Haryana, which has been out of power for a decade, the Assembly election is a battle to revive the party in the State.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is fighting to retain power in the State, has already released its first list of 67 candidates for the election.

Published - September 06, 2024 10:44 pm IST