After meeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are likely to contest the Haryana Assembly Elections from Julana and Badli seats, respectively as Congress candidates.  The party put out a photograph of Rahul Gandhi with Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia on its official X handle.

The names will be cleared by the Congress Central Election Committee anytime now.

The Congress CEC has approved candidates in 66 of 90 seats so far.  Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Lok Sabha MP Kumari Selja and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala kept pushing the names of their nominees till the last moment, delaying the list.

Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat were part of the protest over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and then Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in 2023. Ever since Phogat returned to India from the Paris Olympics, she has been seen with Congress leaders. Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda was the first political leader to reach IGI Airport in Delhi to welcome her with a ‘Hanuman Gada’, a symbol of victory. Phogat had also met former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who had said that the Congress welcomes everyone who wants to join the party.

Talking to reporters, AICC in charge of Haryana Dipak Babaria said that so far, the party’s central election committee has been able to clear 66 out of the total 90 assembly seats through consensus but no agreement could be reached on the remaining 24 seats. “We have held two rounds of the CEC and have finalised 66 of the 90 seats. The remaining seats have been referred to a review committee which will resolve the matter soon,” Babaria.

The delay is also because of the talks of an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party in Haryana. AAP MP Raghav Chadha held talks with Deepak Babaria to explore possibilities of finding a common ground.
"We are exploring possibilities for an understanding. I believe that things cannot proceed unless it is a win-win situation for both parties. So we are looking for a meeting point," Babaria told reporters. Asked how many seats the Congress could give the AAP as part of a deal, he said it would be a "small number" in "single digit".

Babaria also said the CPI(M) and the Samajwadi Party have also put forward a proposal and are expecting to work with the Congress in an alliance.