Mahavir Phogat, Babita join BJP

NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: In a setback for the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), Haryana wrestler and Dronacharya awardee Mahavir Phogat and his daughter Babita Phogat, who inspired the film ‘Dangal’, joined BJP on Monday.


The Phogats were associated with Hisar ex-MP Dushyant Chautala’s JJP after INLD split last year. Mahavir Phogat was the state chief of JJP’s sports cell. There were indications that the Phogats were leaning towards BJP after Babita defended CM M L Khattar over his “brides from Kashmir” remark.

Last month, JJP’s

Lok Sabha

candidate from Bhiwani, Swati Yadav, had joined BJP.

The father-daughter duo, who had campaigned for JJP and its leaders in the LS polls, joined BJP in the presence of the party’s working chief J P Nadda, Haryana chief Subhash Barala and Union minister Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi.

The Phogats, who hail from Balali village in

Dadri

district, have been vocal and critical of the Haryana government’s sports policy and programmes till now. However, on Monday, both praised PM Modi and Khattar.

Interestingly, they were clear that their ties with Dushyant Chautala would continue. “We have got a lot while being in JJP. We might have left the party but have respect for Dushyant Chautala and his family,” they told a Dadri-based reporter.