Boxer Vijender Singh made a one-line post on Twitter, formerly known as X, which triggered a lot of speculations ahead of the Lok Sabha election. "Wherever the public wants, I am ready," Vijender Singh wrote triggering speculation that he might become Congress's Mathura candidate against Hema Malini. Actor Hema Malini will be contesting from Mathura for the third time on BJP ticket this year as Mathura has become her stronghold since 2014, the first time she fought the election.
Vijender Singh joined the Congress in 2019 and unsuccessfully contested from the South Delhi constituency where BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri defeated AAP's Raghav Chadha and Congress's Vijender Singh to retain his constituency. This year, the BJP fielded Ramvir Singh Bidhuri from the constituency.
"In more than 20 years of my career in boxing I have always made my country proud in the ring. Now it's time to do something for my countrymen & serve them. I would like to accept this opportunity & thank INC India party, Rahul Gandhi ji and Priyanka Gandhi ji for this responsibility," Vijender Singh wrote as he joined the Congress.
{{/usCountry}}"In more than 20 years of my career in boxing I have always made my country proud in the ring. Now it's time to do something for my countrymen & serve them. I would like to accept this opportunity & thank INC India party, Rahul Gandhi ji and Priyanka Gandhi ji for this responsibility," Vijender Singh wrote as he joined the Congress.
{{/usCountry}}Vijender Singh, however, was seen at the wrestlers' protest against Brij Bhushan Singh, the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India. The Olympic medal winning boxer joined Rahul Gandhi's recent Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. In December 2023, Vijender Singh made another cryptic post which was interpreted as his farewell to politics as he wrote 'Rajneeti ko ram-ram bhai'.
In 2008, Vijender Singh became the first Indian boxer to have won an Olympic medal. He won bronze medals at the 2009 World Championship and the 2010 Commonwealth Games. In 2010, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian sports. In 2012, his name came up in a drugs controversy but he was later acquitted of all charges.