Wrestler and Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat secured victory in the Julana Assembly election, with the Election Commission confirming her win by 6,015 votes over BJP's Yogesh Kumar. The counting took place on Tuesday.
“This is the victory of the truth,” Phogat said after her win. When asked about the Congress party's overall performance, she responded, “Let’s wait for some more time. Counting is still on.”
Read Also | Haryana Assembly Election Result 2024: Vinesh Phogat Wins From Julana Constituency by Over 6000 Votes
Phogat expressed her commitment to the people of Haryana, stating, “I will work for the people of Haryana. The people of Julana have given me their blessings.”
Congratulatory messages flooded in for Phogat following her victory. Olympic medalist and Congress leader Bajrang Punia congratulated her on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “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.”
Phogat entered politics after retiring from wrestling following the Paris Olympics 2024. She had previously participated in the wrestlers’ anti-sexual harassment protest against former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a BJP MP.
In addition to Phogat, 11 other candidates contested from the Julana Assembly constituency. BJP leader Yogesh Bairagi, a former Army personnel and commercial pilot, was considered a key contender against Phogat. The Julana constituency has over 185,000 eligible voters, with approximately 40 percent from the Jat community.
Voting for all 90 seats in the Haryana Legislative Assembly was conducted in a single phase on October 5, resulting in a voter turnout of 67.90 percent.