Brij Bhushan not to contest WFI elections but his son-in-law will

BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his son are not part of the electoral college for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections but his son-in-law will be able to contest the upcoming elections, despite sports minister Anurag Thakur’s assurances that no one from the disgraced politician’s family will contest.

The list also included members who are associated with the existing state bodies, which has come as a surprise to WFI members who wonder how the rules were tweaked.

Thakur had promised protesting wrestlers led by Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia that no one from Brij Bhushan’s family will contest the WFI elections in the wake of the widespread resentment against the Lok Sabha member.

While Brij Bhushan, the Uttar Pradesh president and his son Karan, vice-president in the same body, have not entered the fray, the former’s son-in-law Vishal Singh will be a representative from Bihar in the elections.

Brij Bhushan, currently on bail, is not eligible to contest as he has already completed 12 years as an office-bearer, the maximum term allowed under the National Sports Code.

Also read: Brij Bhushan Singh, strongman from UP badlands even Modi dares not upset

Odisha representative

Anita Sheoran, one of the witnesses in the sexual harassment case against Sharan Singh, has been named as Odisha representative for the August 12 polls. Sheoran, 38, a 2010 CWG gold medallist, hails from Haryana and is employed with the state police.

Prem Chand Lochab’s name figures as a representative from Gujarat when he is the secretary of the railways sports promotion board. Also, Assam has been given voting rights following the ad-hoc panel’s surprise decision to grant membership to the state.

PTI quoted a WFI source as saying: “How can an ad-hoc panel grant membership to a state? It is a decision taken by the General Council. It is difficult to understand how this decision has been taken.”

Also read: Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections on August 12

“This is a clear violation of the WFI Constitution that people who are not part of the state bodies have been nominated and approved in the electoral college list,” added the source.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra and Tripura will not have any representatives at the election. The Uttar Pradesh unit will be represented by Prem Kumar Mishra and Sanjay Singh.

Two representatives from each state unit will be allowed to vote.

(With agency inputs)