Chandigarh: Former Olympian wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday won from Julana constituency with over 6000 votes. Notably, the party last won the seat in 2005. Phogat’s win is historic as the the grand old party managed to grab the seat after 19 years
In her first reaction, Phogat says, “”This is the fight of every girl, every woman who chooses the path to fight. This is the victory of every struggle, truth. I will maintain the love and trust that this country has given me.”
The ruling BJP has crossed the majority mark in the Haryana assembly and was leading on 49 seats, while the Congress was ahead on 35, according to the latest trends available on the Election Commission website.
Among prominent candidates, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Vinesh Phogat, Udai Bhan, Independent candidate Savitri Jindal, were ahead on their respective seats. However, senior BJP leader Anil Vij, INLD’s Abhay Singh Chautala and JJP’s Dushyant Chautala were trailing.
Olympians Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia — well known for their athletic prowess as well as for leading the wrestlers’ protest against then WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh — had entered the political arena last month by joining the Congress.
Phogat is in the fray up against former Army captain and BJP candidate Yogesh Bairagi for the Julana seat in Haryana. Other competitors include incumbent Julana MLA and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) candidate Amarjeet Dhanda, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and wrestler Kavita Dalal.
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) won the Julana seat from 2009 to 2019. The Congress has last won this seat in 2005.
After Phogat met with former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda she told reporters her new journey is not just politics but a fight for service and justice on a new platform.
When asked if she hopes to be a minister in Haryana, Phogat said, “It is not in my hands [to become a minister], it is in the hands of the high command…”. She added, “I don’t want to be limited to Julana but work for the entire state…”
Speaking to reporters after casting her vote, Phogat urged people to “vote for the party that works for rights of women”.
After casting her vote in Charkhi Dadri, Phogat said, “It is a huge festival for Haryana and a very big day for the people of the state. I am making an appeal to the people of the state to come out and cast their votes. 10 years ago, when Bhupinder Hooda was the chief minister, the level of sports in the state was really good.”
Vinesh Phogat urged people to “vote for the party that works for rights of women, you all know which party I am speaking of.” Phogat was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, “Hope of victory is always there, today is the day to vote. People have not forgotten what the BJP did to the farmers and others.”
Hooda told Hindustan Times that fielding Vinesh Phogat in the upcoming Assembly election is Congress party’s “token of gratitude” for the Olympian wrestler’s services to the country.
Vinesh Phogat’s candidature has elicited criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with many leaders calling her a Congress leader, and not the country’s daughter who was ‘wrongly denied’ an Olympic medal. In fact, Vinesh’s cousin and BJP leader, Babita Phogat accused Hooda of causing rift in the Phogat family by fielding her.
