Wrestler and Congress leader Vinesh Phogat won the Haryana State Assembly elections from the Julana constituency. The recent Olympian earned a victory over the Bharatiya Janata Party's Yogesh Bairagi by 6,015 votes, according to the latest electoral trends. The vote count in the constituency started off on a nail-biting note, with both contenders facing their shares of leads and trails. However, from the seventh round of counting, at around 11:30 a.m., Phogat consistently enjoyed the lead by a significant margin.
Phogat, a debutante in politics and elections, tested her fate from a seat where the Congress has not found success since 2005. The other candidates included incumbent Julana MLA Amarjeet Dhand of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), and wrestler Kavita Dalal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Fellow wrestler-turned-Congress leader Bajrang Punia congratulated Phogat, writing on X, "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."
Vinesh Phogat Joins Congress Party
Phogat's entry into Congress is expected to strengthen the party’s position, particularly as there have been internal doubts about forming an alliance with the AAP. Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his pride on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Chak de India, Chak de Haryana! Met our talented champions Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who have made India proud in the world, at 10, Rajaji Marg. We are proud of both of you."
At the Congress office, Vinesh Phogat spoke about her experiences and thanked the party for their support during difficult times. She said, "I want to thank the people of the country for supporting me during my wrestling career, and I hope I live up to their expectations. I want to thank Congress because, as they say, it is only when times are bad that one finds out who is standing with them. When we were dragged on the roads, every party other than the BJP stood with us and understood our pain and our tears."
Phogat also expressed her pride in joining a party that supports women’s rights. She added, "I am very proud to be associated with a party that stands up against misbehaviour and injustice against women... I want to assure the people of the country that we will work for them with the same intensity with which we worked in wrestling. We stand with every woman who finds herself helpless."
Resignation from Indian Railways
Earlier that day, Vinesh Phogat resigned from her position as an officer on special duty (OSD) with Northern Railways, citing personal reasons. She shared her resignation letter on X, writing, "Serving Indian Railways has been a memorable and proud time of my life. At this point in my life, I have decided to separate myself from my service in the railways... I will always be grateful to the Indian Railway family for this opportunity."
Phogat recently made headlines when she was disqualified from the 50 kg freestyle wrestling event after exceeding the weight limit by just 100 grams. Despite defeating reigning gold medallist Yui Susaki of Japan, her disqualification was a disappointment for fans.
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