WFI Polls Today, Madhya Pradesh CM Contesting for Post of Vice-President

New Delhi: The elections for top posts of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) are to be held on Thursday. Sanjay Singh, close to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran are contesting for the post of president of the WFI.

One of the candidates for the vice-president post is newly appointed Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Mohan Yadav, who is a former wrestler. Elections will also be held for a senior vice-president, four vice-presidents, a secretary general, a treasurer, two joint secretaries and five executive members.

This election will provide a new president to the WFI after Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh occupied the top post for 12 years. The BJP MP from Kaiserganj had to resign after the country’s top wrestlers led a protest, accusing him of sexually harassing women wrestlers.

As it was promised that none of Brij Bhushan Singh’s family members would be allowed to contest the elections. So, Brij Bhushan’s son Prateek and son-in-law Vishal Singh did not contest. But his close associate Sanjay Singh’s nomination was cleared. Sheoran is backed by wrestlers who participated in the protest against the long-time WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh.

Court cases have delayed the WFI election, because of which the international wrestling body suspended WFI. Recently, the Supreme Court set aside a stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which enabled the WFI polls to be held.