WFI Polls: Brij Bhushan Singh and Son Excluded, Son-in-Law to Represent Bihar

New Delhi: Brij Bhushan Singh and his son Karan have been omitted from the electoral roll for the upcoming Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections. The exclusion comes in the wake of sexual harassment charges against Brij Bhushan Singh. Notably, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had assured the protesting wrestlers that none of Brij Bhushan’s family members would contest the elections.

Surprisingly, the list includes representatives not associated with existing state bodies. Vishal Singh, the son-in-law of the outgoing chief, is set to represent Bihar in the polls.

Also Read: Brij Bhushan Singh Gets Bail in Wrestlers’ Sexual Harassment Case

The list also includes Anita Sheoran, a witness in the sexual harassment case, as the representative for Odisha. Moreover, Prem Chand Lochab, the secretary of the Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), is listed as a representative from Gujarat.

However, there are concerns over the decision to grant voting rights to Assam, as an ad-hoc panel’s surprise move raised questions about a possible breach of the WFI Constitution. The constitution specifies that only members of the state executive can participate in the electoral college for these elections.

Due to claims from both factions being declared “ineligible” by the returning officer, neither Maharashtra nor Tripura will have representatives in the elections. Tripura has been disaffiliated since 2016.

Brij Bhushan Singh, a Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh’s Kaisergunj, is ineligible to run for office due to having already served the maximum term permitted under the National Sports Code. As a result, Prem Kumar Mishra and Sanjay Singh will represent the UP state unit.

The WFI elections are set to take place on August 12, amidst the backdrop of sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan Singh, who was recently released on bail by a Delhi court.