Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the head of the Wrestling Federation of India ( WFI) and a member of the BJP, is presently projected to the mat after Delhi Police filed two FIRs accusing him of harassing multiple women wrestlers. 

The head of the wrestling confederation has eventually been cornered as a result of the demurrers by India’s top wrestlers, specially Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, in January and April. For his part, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has refuted all allegations and pertained to them as a “political vendetta”. 

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Let’s have a look at Bahubali neta of the saffron party, who enjoys strong support in Uttar Pradesh, as the WFI chairman finds himself at the core of an extremity that has rocked the sports world. 

Early Life and Background:

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a resident of Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh, has established himself as a prominent political figure with a remarkable track record in parliamentary elections. Over the years, Singh has served as a Member of Parliament (MP) six times, with five of those victories representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one from the Samajwadi Party (SP) in 2009. He has represented various constituencies, including Gonda, Kaiserganj, and Balrampur, showcasing his influence across several districts in Uttar Pradesh, such as Gonda, Balrampur, and Ayodhya.

In his early years, Singh was actively involved in wrestling, which cultivated his passion for sports and physical prowess. Transitioning into the political arena during the 1980s, he became a prominent figure in student politics. However, Singh gained significant recognition and popularity for his ardent “Hindutva image” during the time of the Ram Mandir movement in Ayodhya.

Singh embarked on his political career by contesting elections for the first time in 1991, successfully securing a seat in the 10th Lok Sabha. This triumph marked the beginning of a series of electoral victories, with subsequent wins in the Lok Sabha elections of 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. Notably, in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he secured the Kaiserganj seat during his brief tenure with the Samajwadi Party. However, Singh later joined the BJP before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, subsequently securing victories in both 2014 and 2019 while contesting on the BJP ticket.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s political journey exemplifies his enduring influence and electoral prowess in Uttar Pradesh. His consistent victories in parliamentary elections and representation of various constituencies highlight his deep-rooted connection with the region and the trust he has garnered from the electorate.

In contrast to his brief affiliation with the Samajwadi Party, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has a long history with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was named in the Babri demolition case and has ties to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

The BJP fielded Brij Bhushan Singh’s wife Kekti Devi from Gonda when he was denied a ticket in 1996 after being charged in a TADA case for allegedly harbouring gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s accomplices. Later, she won the election.

In addition to his considerable electoral influence, Brij Bhushan Singh has continued to use roughly 50 educational institutions within a 100-kilometre radius of Ayodhya and Shravasti to further his agenda. According to local BJP insiders, Singh’s election apparatus is managed almost entirely independently of the party through this arrangement. According to reports, this suggests that Brij Bhushan Singh is just as dependent on the BJP as BJP on him. However, Brij Bhushan Singh and the BJP appear to have a touchy relationship right now as a result of the controversy surrounding the wrestlers’ protest. Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, is also not thought to be close to Singh. Even while the party hasn’t yet taken action against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, it’s unclear what stance the BJP would adopt in light of the escalating scandal and with less than a year until the Lok Sabha elections.

However, the 66-year-old Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief is now facing fresh allegations of sexual harassment by several prominent women wrestlers.

While Brij Bhushan managed to navigate through previous controversies, including the TADA charges and the Babri demolition case, the current allegations of sexual harassment have thrust him back into the public eye. The gravity of the accusations and the involvement of multiple wrestlers have significantly impacted his reputation and placed him under intense scrutiny once again.