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WATCH: Vijender Singh on why he joined BJP day after sharing anti-BJP posts

Lok Sabha elections: Boxer Vijender Singh had unsuccessfully fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from South Delhi seat on a Congress ticket

Vijender Singh

Boxer and former Congress leader Vijender Singh being greeted by BJP leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri as he joins the party ahead of Lok Sabha elections, at BJP HQ in New Delhi, April 3, 2024. (Photo: PTI)

Nisha Anand New Delhi

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Olympic medalist and boxer Vijender Singh, who recently switched from the Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, described his decision as a “well thought out” move. However, just a day before joining the saffron party, Singh was spotted sharing anti-BJP posts and mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media.


When questioned about this, Singh provided an unexpected response, stating that he had a change of heart after sleeping on it. “...after that, I slept, then woke up and realised that I was doing wrong, I am on the wrong platform, I should be with the BJP and will be able to follow the right direction after joining them. So, I made the decision,” the boxer is seen saying in a video, which has now gone viral on social media.

 

"I have joined the BJP today for the development of the country and to serve the people," Singh stated, hinting that he might get a ticket to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Vijender Singh shared Rahul Gandhi's posts

The content in question was posted by Rahul Gandhi, which Singh had re-shared on his timeline on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). The content was removed from Singh’s timeline shortly after he switched to the BJP. See image here.

The Haryana-based boxer had joined the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and unsuccessfully fought the South Delhi constituency on the party’s ticket. He was also a part of Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ and the two were spotted together during the campaign in January.

The development followed amid rumours that the boxer might get a Congress ticket from Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, where BJP candidate and actress Hema Malini will contest to retain her seat for the third time.

Singh comes from the Jat community, which is influential in several Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

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First Published: Apr 04 2024 | 12:59 PM IST

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