Boxer Vijender Singh Joins BJP, Move Seen As Party’s Efforts To Woo Jat Voters

Vijender Singh is said to be fielded from the Mathura seat.

Written by: Tahir Qureshi

Updated: April 3, 2024, 3:54 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/news/india/breaking-boxer-vijender-singh-joins-bjp-might-replace-hema-malini-at-mathura-6832077/ Copy

(ANI)

Boxer Vijender Singh: Boxer Vijender Singh joined the BJP on Wednesday late noon, say the sources. The development comes just ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Now, he is tipped to be a star campaigner for the saffron party in the Jat belt and strengthen the Jat votes.

It is worth noting that Vijender Singh had fought the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections as a Congress candidate from the South Delhi constituency. He lost to BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri.

The BJP’s move to admit 38-year-old Vijender Singh is seen as a measure to assuage the sentiments of the powerful Jat community which has a strong political influence in Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan because of the massive controversy that erupted over the female wrestlers’ protest against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the erstwhile chairman of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

As a boxer, Vijender Singh won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, becoming the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal.

Subsequently, he won bronze medals at the 2009 World Championships and the 2010 Commonwealth Games and silver medals at the 2006 and 2014 Commonwealth Games in the middleweight division.