Wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat has officially filed her nomination as the Congress candidate from the Julana Assembly constituency for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. She was accompanied by Congress MP Deepender S. Hooda during the filing.
Phogat, who joined the Indian National Congress earlier this month, expressed her gratitude to the people of Julana. "We are working hard... I have learned in wrestling never to underestimate your opponent, so we are putting in our best efforts. I want to repay the love and affection the people of Julana have given me," Phogat said after filing her nomination.
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The Julana seat, located in Jind district, is set for a tough contest between Phogat and Capt. Yogesh Bairagi, a former commercial pilot fielded by the BJP.
Phogat, alongside fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia, was at the forefront of the protests against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Phogat made history as the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the Olympic final but was disqualified during the Paris Olympics after being overweight by 100 grams in the 50-kg category.
Haryana will hold elections for its 90 assembly seats on October 5, with the results expected on October 8.