Not family, but 18 Brij Bhushan loyalists file nominations for upcoming WFI elections

Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Monday said that ‘no one from his family’ would contest the upcoming elections of the national sports body. Brij Bhushan has been granted interim bail in a case where female wrestlers led a protest alleging that Brij Bhushan sexually harassed female wrestlers including a minor. 

Brij Bhushan on Monday visited the Indian Olympic Association office in national capital Delhi on the last day of nomination for WFI elections on Monday.

Brij Bhushan's son-in-law Vishal told news agency ANI that 18 nominations have been filed and the candidate pitched for the President position of WFI is Sanjay Kumar Singh. 

According to a report by NDTV, the 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 of the wrestling body.

BJP MP Brij Bhushan cannot contest for the WFI chief post owing to the fact that he was rendered ineligible because he has completed 12 years as head of the federation -- the maximum period allowed as per the National Sports Code.

Top wrestlers of the country including Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik had protested in Delhi's Jantar Mantar levelling allegations of sexual harassment against the BJP MP. 

Further, Brij Bhushan's son Karan is also not part of the electoral college as Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had promised to the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar that none from the BJP leader's family would contest the elections, reported PTI. 

"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," Brij Bhushan told reporters.

The BJP MP claimed that 22 out of 25 units have attended the meeting on Monday and that ‘his candidates’ have filed nomination for various posts. 

The election for the post of WFI chief will be held on 12 August. 

"Let the elections happen first and then whoever wins will do their work." Bhushan told media reporters. 

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 agency inputs)