Chandigarh: As the Congress gears up for the Haryana assembly elections next month, internal challenges have emerged. On 6th September, wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat officially joined the Congress at its headquarters in Delhi. However, this event was overshadowed by protests from farmers who opposed the party’s decision to grant an election ticket to a Congress leader from Hisar, accusing him of corruption.
One demonstrator voiced the concerns of the protesters, saying, "We came to know that Congress is going to give the ticket to a corrupt person. We are here to request Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Deepak Babaria to honor their promise not to give tickets to any corrupt individuals." The farmers emphasized their support for the wrestlers joining the party but remained firm on their demand to exclude corrupt candidates.
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#WATCH | A man protesting outside AICC headquarters in Delhi, says, "We are here from Hisar Haryana, we came to know that Congress is going to give the ticket (for assembly elections) to a corrupt person. We all farmer leaders are here to request Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi… https://t.co/4tJ7ucgRpZ pic.twitter.com/pLBfoa509D
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024
Deepak Babaria, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Haryana in-charge, also faced significant opposition from locals. Protesters surrounded his vehicle, accusing the party of corruption in ticket distribution. Joginder, a farmer leader from Hisar, stressed, “Our demand from Congress is to give the ticket to an honest farmer leader.” He warned that the party risked losing voter support if their demands were not met.
Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress in the presence of senior leaders, including KC Venugopal, Pawan Khera, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan, and Deepak Babaria. Earlier that day, Vinesh Phogat resigned from Northern Railways. Media reports suggest that Vinesh may run from the Julana seat, while Bajrang Punia is likely to contest from the Badli seat.
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