Phogats back Dushyant as chief ministerial face

Tribune News Service

Bhiwani, November 8

Celebrated wrestling coach Mahavir Singh Phogat and his family have thrown their weight behind expelled INLD MP from Hisar Dushyant Chautala. He, however, denied joining the party or aspiring to contest the elections.

Phogat, along with his wife Daya Kaur and daughter Babita Phogat, went to wish INLD leader Ajay Chautala, who is out on a parole, and his family at their Sirsa residence on Diwali.

The Phogat family has been associated with the INLD for long. But support for Ajay and his son Dushyant is seen as a shot in the arm for the beleaguered faction of the family, which will decide the course of action in Jind on November 17.

Mahavir told The Tribune, “Dushyant is the perfect chief ministerial candidate in the INLD. He should be projected as the CM face. Since he has been expelled, we stand by him.”

He dismissed any talk to joining the INLD, but said he was impressed with the policies of the party.

Mahavir said he and his daughters would campaign for Ajay and Dushyant in the next year’s Assembly elections, but they were not ticket aspirants.

Babita said, “Given the sentiments of the youth and the hard work by Dushyant, he is the most appropriate CM candidate. He is concerned about sports. Besides, he has proved himself as an able politician in his first stint in the Lok Sabha.”

She added her uncle, Sajjan Singh Phogat, who was an office-bearer in the INLD, had left the party in protest against the expulsion of Dushyant and Digvijay.