Boxer and Congress leader Vijender Singh joins BJP ahead of Lok Sabha elections

New Delhi [India]: In a major blow to the Congress party, boxer-turned-politician Vijender Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Vijender Singh joined the BJP at an event held at the party headquarters in Delhi in the presence of the party’s National General Secretary, Vinod Tawde.

Singh asserted to ‘serve people’ after joining the BJP. “I have joined the BJP today for the development of the country and to serve the people,” he said.

He further said that he would be able to work in a better way for the athletes and sportspersons with the BJP.

The boxer-turned-politician had earlier in 2023 come in support of the protesting wrestlers who alleged sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chairman Brij Bhushan Saran Singh.

The Congress defector contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on the grand old party’s ticket against the BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri and the Aam Aadmi Party’s Raghav Chadha from the South Delhi constituency.

He had also joined the farmers’ protest in 2020, while the latter were protesting against the central government’s three farm laws.