Boxer Vijender Singh switches from Congress to BJP

New Delhi:

In another shock to the Congress, boxer Vijender Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The Olympian joined the Congress party in 2019 but lost the general election to the South Delhi constituency against the BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri.

Sources said the Congress party plans to field the 38-year-old candidate against BJP MP Hema Malini, who has been nominated again as its candidate from the Mathura seat. The move is expected to help the BJP consolidate votes among the Jat community, which is particularly important in Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. The boxer is expected to campaign extensively for the BJP in both the areas.

Mr. Singh was the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal (bronze) at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also won silver medals at the 2006 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, and bronze medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2009 World Championships.

The boxer, who joined the BJP in the presence of party general secretary Vinod Todd on Wednesday, said in Hindi: “It’s like go home (Go home) for me. I ran in the 2019 election. Great to be back. The way athletes are now respected at home and abroad is commendable. In the past, when we went abroad to fight, such as to the UK or Dubai, sometimes things would happen at the airport. But since the BJP and the (Narendra) Modi government came to power, we can go anywhere easily. “

“I want to thank Prime Minister Modi and the BJP for respecting athletes under this government. I want to be part of this government, help people and show them the right path. I am still the same Vijender who tells the truth Tell it like it is,” he added.

Last year, Vijayder Singh supported wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia in protest against sexual harassment allegations against Bharatiya Janata Party MP and then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. When Sakshi Malik announced his retirement from wrestling after a close aide of a BJP MP won the subsequent WFI elections, the boxer termed it a black day in the history of sports.

He also questioned the silence of Indian cricketers on the issue.