Bhupinder Singh Hooda (L) with Vinesh Phogat.
Credit:X/@BhupinderShooda
Chandigarh: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat met with Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his family in Delhi on Friday amid speculation that she may join the Congress and contest the October 1 Haryana assembly polls.
"Had a family meeting with the daughter of the country, pride of Haryana, our sister Vinesh Phogat and her husband Somveer Rathi at Delhi residence," the Congress' Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda posted on X after meeting the ace wrestler.
Deepender Hooda's father and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Rohtak MP's wife Sweta and mother Asha were also present.
Last Saturday, Deepender Hooda led a rousing welcome for Phogat, who hails from Haryana's Balali, at the Delhi airport on her arrival from the Paris Olympics, where she faced a heartbreaking exit after being disqualified on the day of her 50-kg final match.
He had vociferously supported an agitation by Phogat and other wrestlers, mostly from Haryana, against the then Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP leader Brijbhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment.
Congress leader Deepak Babaria, who is the party's Haryana affairs in-charge, was asked by reporters in Delhi if the Congress has approached Phogat to contest the Haryana assembly polls.
Babaria replied, "If any of our leaders have approached her, I do not know. But if she wants to fight, she will be welcome... If she wants to contest, certainly we will accommodate her."
A few days ago, the leader of opposition in the Haryana assembly Bhupinder Hooda had said that his party would have nominated Phogat to the Rajya Sabha if it had the required numbers.
On Saturday, Deepender Hooda presented Phogat a "Hanuman Gada" as a symbol of victory and said she was an Olympic gold medallist in the eyes of the citizens of the country.
The Congress MP sat atop a vehicle along with Phogat and other wrestlers -- Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik -- when they headed for Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, Vinesh's native place, from the national capital.
Deepender Hooda's election to the Lok Sabha from Rohtak in this general election has necessitated a by-election to the Rajya Sabha seat he held from the state.
The BJP's Kiran Choudhry is set to win the Rajya Sabha seat in the bypolls as the Congress did not field a candidate, saying it lacked adequate numbers in the Assembly.
The Election Commission on Friday announced that the assembly polls in Haryana would be held in a single phase on October 1 and the results would be declared on October 4.
Haryana is going to see a keen electoral contest mainly between the Congress and the BJP, which is aiming for a hat-trick. The Aam Aadmi Party has also said that it will contest this time.