After the heartbreak at the Paris Olympics, Vinesh Phogat made a stellar political debut as the former wrestler emerged victorious for Congress in Haryana’s Julana Assembly Constituency by defeating Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate Yogesh Kumar, according to the Election Commission of India.
The former wrestler defeated her rival with a margin of 5,761 votes. Vinesh totaled 65080 votes after 15 rounds of counting of votes today posting a margin of 6015+ votes over Yogesh Kumar.
Vinesh Phogat faced tough competition in Julana from the BJP’s Captain Yogesh Bairagi, a former commercial pilot. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) put forward former WWE wrestler Kavita Dalal, while the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) backed its incumbent MLA, Amarjeet Singh Dhanda.
The historic win ended a 19-year loss streak for Congress. The last Congress MLA from the Julana constituency was elected in 2005. Since then, the seat had been held by other parties, including the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), until Vinesh Phogat’s win in the latest election.
This win was much needed for Phogat following a devastating disqualification in the Paris Olympics this year. She was competing in the women’s 50kg wrestling category and had reached the final after defeating several top contenders, including the defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan. However, on the morning of the gold medal bout, Vinesh was disqualified for failing to be eligible due to weight criteria.
Bajrang Punia, a fellow wrestler and Congress leader who joined the party alongside Phogat, took to social media to express his support and pride. On platform X, he wrote, “Many congratulations to the country’s daughter Vinesh Phogat for her victory. This fight was not just for one Julana seat, it was not just with 3-4 other candidates, it was not just a fight between parties. This fight was against the strongest oppressive forces in the country. And Vinesh emerged victorious.”
This story underscores the shifting dynamics within Haryana’s political scene, with Phogat’s victory exemplifying Congress’s strategic push to appeal to voters through candidates who resonate on a personal level with voters.
Talking about other major constituencies, main leader of opposition, Congress’ Bhupinder Singh Hooda leads in the Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi constituency. While CM Nayab Saini won in the Ladwa constituency beating Congress’ Mawa Ram by a margin of 16,120. India’s Richest Woman, Savitri Jindal is also contesting independently and is currently leading in the Hisar constituency. Congress Aftab Ahmed won in the Nuh Constituency.
At the time of writing, BJP was leading in 49 constituencies with Congress leading in 36 constituencies. This is also a deviation from the exit polls predictions, which predicted a clean sweep for Congress in Haryana. There are 90 assembly constituencies in Haryana and a party needs 46 majority seats to form a government.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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