As the 8th round of counting ends, Vinesh Phogat has taken the lead in the Julana constituency by over 3,000 votes. The former Olympian wrestler, who is now a politician, is running for the Julana assembly seat in Haryana’s Jind district on a Congress ticket. This is significant because the Congress party last won this seat in 2005. If Phogat wins, it will be the first time in 19 years that the Congress has secured victory in Julana, although she is currently trailing.
According to the latest updates, the BJP is leading in most of the 46 seats in Haryana, surprising many observers. Vinesh Phogat and fellow Olympian Bajrang Punia joined the Congress last month after their well-known involvement in the wrestlers' protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
In Julana, Phogat is competing against BJP candidate Yogesh Bairagi, former Army captain, as well as the current MLA from Julana, Amarjeet Dhanda from the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), and AAP candidate Kavita Dalal, who is also a wrestler. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) held the Julana seat from 2009 to 2019.
After meeting with former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Phogat stated that her political journey is about “service and justice.” When asked about potentially becoming a minister, she said it depends on the party leadership. Phogat also urged voters to “choose the party that supports women’s rights.”
After voting in Charkhi Dadri, she described the election as a “festival for Haryana” and encouraged everyone to participate. Phogat emphasized the need to remember the BJP's actions toward farmers and others.
Hooda described Phogat’s candidacy as a “token of gratitude” from the Congress for her contributions to the country. However, her involvement in politics has drawn criticism from BJP leaders, who referred to her as a Congress leader instead of a celebrated athlete. Vinesh's cousin, Babita Phogat, a BJP leader, even accused Hooda of creating a rift in their family by supporting her candidacy.
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