New Delhi: Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning wrestler Babita Phogat and her father Mahavir joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in Delhi on Monday. Babita is the younger of the two famous Phogat sisters, elder being Geeta, on whom the successful Bollywood film 'Dangal' is based.

Babita who went onto win a bronze medal at the 2012 World Wrestling Championships, clinched golds at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. She is all set to tie the knot with Vivek Suhag after her family gave the approval. According to his social media profile, Vivek Suhag is a winner of last year's 'Kesari award'.


Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Babita's father, Mahavir Phogat had joined Jannayak Janata Party founded by Ajay Chautala, the jailed elder son of former chief minister OP Chautala. He was made chief of the party’s sports cell. However, he was not given a ticket by the party.

The JJP was launched last year by former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala's grandson Dushyant Chautala, following a power struggle in the state's main opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).

Babita, 29, had sued the Haryana government for not upgrading her as the deputy superintendent of police despite the many medals that she had won. She was a sub-inspector. But she lost the case in June this year and later, according to her family, has resigned from service.

The Phogat family hails from Balali village of Dadri and there is speculation that the family expects Babita to be fielded from either Badhra or Dadri assembly segments of Dadri district. Babita, who is recovering from an injury, also aims to qualify for the Olympics and eventually bring home the glory of an Olympic gold medal for the country.

BJP-ruled Haryana will vote for a new 90-member legislative assembly later this year.