भास्कर ओपिनियन: बजरंग पूनिया और विनेश फोगाट के कांग्रेस में आने का असर क्या?

Only 30 days are left for the voting in Haryana elections. On one hand, some people from BJP are leaving the party over ticket distribution. On the other hand, Congress has got the trump card in Haryana. Olympic champion wrestler Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat have joined Congress.

BJP says that both these wrestlers have become victims of Congress politics. However, both the wrestlers are saying that when many daughters of the country including us were being dragged on the road at Jantar Mantar, only Congress supported us. We had also sent letters to women MPs of BJP for help, but no one supported us.

Now let us come to the impact of these two wrestlers joining the Congress. Actually, this incident has strengthened the Congress a little, whatever position it is in. Congress can also benefit from the sympathy that Vinesh got after she was disqualified from the Paris Olympics due to being just 100 grams overweight and due to which not only Haryana but the entire country was saddened.

It is possible that wherever Rahul or Priyanka Gandhi goes for election campaign in Haryana, they will definitely make Vinesh Phogat sit on the stage so that sympathy can be capitalized on. Congress will definitely get political benefit from this.

Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia met Rahul Gandhi on 4 September in Delhi.

At present, BJP does not have any such sympathy card. On top of that, there is definitely anti-incumbency of ten years. However, BJP is an expert in dealing with and fighting such situations. It will try its best to form the government for the third time in Haryana.

There is only one way for BJP to benefit here and that is division of Jat votes. If this becomes possible then it will be difficult to defeat BJP. It remains to be seen to what extent Congress is able to keep the Jat votes united in Haryana or prevent them from getting divided!

On the other hand, another great female wrestler Sakshi Malik has said that Vinesh and Bajrang’s joining Congress is their personal decision, but I will continue my fight in favor of wrestlers. I will not let that movement slow down at all.