Chandigarh/IBNS: Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia on Wednesday joined the Congress ahead of the assembly elections in Haryana, media reports said.

Phogat and Punia are set to contest the upcoming Haryana polls.

The two met Leader of Opposition and Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi.

The wrestlers' joining comes at a time talks are underway between Congress and Aam Aadmi Party for a seat-sharing deal in the state.

The Congress and AAP had entered into a seat-sharing deal in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections that had offered a blow to the ruling BJP.

It is also significant because both Phogat and Punia led the protests against former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who has been accused of sexually assaulting several women wrestlers.

Brij Bhushan was denied a ticket by the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Also last week, Phogat had visited the Delhi-Haryana border and met the farmers who were camped there protesting against the central government.

The Haryana state polls will be held months after the BJP's tally of seats tanked from the previous 303 to 240 making it mandatory for the saffron party to have the allies' support.