Julana: Wrestler-turned-politician and Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat has won her maiden electoral contest from the Julana constituency in the Haryana Assembly elections.
Vinesh, who contested on a Congress ticket, faced a challenge from BJP's Yogesh Kumar, AAP's Kavita Rani and sitting MLA Amarjeet Dhanda. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Surender Lather is also in the fray. A staggering 74.66 per cent of votes were polled on October 5, 2024, for the Juliana seat, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Congress banked on the popularity of Vinesh and anti-incumbency to snatch the seat from the JJP. Exuding confidence in Congress's victory in Haryana assembly polls, party MP Deepender Hooda said on Monday that the result would send a message to people all over the country.
Vinesh Phogat is a sports icon who became the fierce face of an anti-sexual harassment protest and retired from wrestling after a shocking end to her medal campaign at the Paris Olympics. Phogat joined the Congress just ahead of the campaign along with Bajrang Punia, also at the forefront of the wrestlers' protest last year against then Wrestling Federation of India chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
"In Haryana Congress will definitely win, and the politics across the country will be affected. With this win, there will be a message sent across the country," Deepinder Hooda said.
"(Bhupinder) Hooda has worked very hard, he has contributed a lot to make the congress have the strength they have now. I also thank Rahul Gandhi for taking out the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which energised the people to support Congress. All the congress workers and others have worked really hard for this. This will be a defeat of the BJP," he added.
Congress leader Nadeem Javed also expressed confidence in the party's victory. "Who gets to have power in Delhi, it is decided to some extent in Haryana too. In Haryana, there was a wave of support for Congress, and it looks like the party will be making government. When we look at what happened on the ground, the farmers, soldiers, women's dignity and the Constitution were important issues." Exit polls have predicted a Congress victory in Haryana.
