BJP MP and outgoing president of Wrestling Federation of India Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Monday said none from his family will be contesting in the upcoming election of the association. Brij Bhushan is facing sexual harassment allegations by top women wrestlers.
According to reports, 18 supporters of Brij Bhushan filed nominations for the election on Monday. July 31 is the last day for filing nominations. NDTV reported that Brij Bhushan's panel includes one candidate for President, six for vice president, seven candidates for executive members, two for joint secretary, one for secretary general, and one for the treasurer post.
The outgoing president claimed he has the support of 22 state associations out of 25 and said no member of his family is contesting the election.
"Today is the last day of nominations, members from 22 state associations were here and they came to meet and are now going for filing their nominations. There is no one from my family," he said.
"Let the elections happen first and then whoever wins will do their work."
Brij Bhushan, against whom the country's six top wrestlers including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat had levelled allegations of sexual harassment and sat in protest at Jantar Mantar, is ineligible to contest as he has completed 12 years as head of the federation -- the maximum period allowed as per the National Sports Code.
Brij Bhushan's son Karan is also not part of the electoral college as Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had promised the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar that none from the BJP leader's family would contest the elections.
Besides the BJP leader's son-in-law Vishal Singh (President, Bihar Wrestling Federation), who was widely being touted as his successor for the top WFI post, will also not contest the August 12 election for any top position.
Brij Bhushan's candidates could face challenge from rivals, who reportedly had a parallel meeting of their own at a different location in the national capital. The meeting was reportedly attended by the state units of Assam, Odisha and Himachal Pradesh.
(With PTI inputs.)
