Boxer Vijender Singh, Congress Candidate From South Delhi Constituency

Vijender Singh, India's only Olympic bronze-medal winning boxer, is the Congress's candidate from the South Delhi Lok Sabha seat, which votes on May 12. The seat is witnessing a three-cornered contest between Mr Singh, Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha, and sitting BJP parliamentarian Ramesh Bidhuri. The 33-year-old pugilist, from Haryana's Bhiwani, was named by the Congress for the South Delhi constituency on April 22. On joining the Congress, the ace boxer said his thinking relates to the ideology and the leadership of the party.

Vijender Singh maintains that he will not quit boxing. "I am contesting the election in the seat as people were in need. Boxing will continue, a lot of time is still left," he said.

Vijender Singh, who is also a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Haryana, declared an annual income of Rs. 45 lakh in 2017-18. His movable and immovable assets are worth Rs. 3.57 crore and Rs.5.05 crore respectively.

The high-profile boxer, who won the bronze medal in 2008 Olympics, quit competitive boxing and joined professional circuit in 2015. His incredible boxing career comprises gold medal at the Asian Games, three medals at the Commonwealth Games and multiple Asian Championship medals.

A trailblazer in the boxing ring, Vijender Singh's 20-year sports journey won him the country's highest sporting honour -- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and the fourth highest civilian honour - Padma Shri in 2010.  In 2013, he was accused of buying heroin by Punjab Police, but was cleared of it after a dope test by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

The South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, with a considerable number of Jat and Gurjar voters, is one of the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the national capital that came into existence in 1966.  After the delimitation of the parliamentary constituencies, since 2008, the constituency comprises 10 Delhi Vidhan Sabha segments - Chattarpur, Palam, Bijwasan, Kalkaji, Mehrauli, Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Tughlaqabad and Badarpur.

Vijender Singh's Rivals In Lok Sabha Election 2019

Aam Aadmi Party candidate Raghav Chadha from the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency is contesting the election for the first time. The 31-year-old chartered accountant joined the party in 2012 as its national treasurer and a national spokesperson.  Mr Chadha, who is known to be close to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, added that his first priority would be to fight to make Delhi a full state.

The third important contender for the South Delhi seat is sitting lawmaker Ramesh Bidhuri. The three-time lawmaker won the seat in 2014 with 4,97,980 votes (45.34 per cent). Mr Bidhuri has movable and immovable assets worth Rs. 18 crore, an increase of close to Rs. 3.5 crore in the last five years, according to his affidavit.