Manu Bhaker Casts First Vote in Haryana Elections, Urges Youth to Shape India's Future

Add as a preferred source on Google

Manu Bhaker, India's Olympic shooting sensation, cast her vote for the first time during the Haryana Assembly elections on Saturday, October 5. Arriving early at a polling station in Jhajjar, the 22-year-old double Olympic medalist expressed her excitement over this significant milestone in her life.

She highlighted the importance of voting for the youth of the country. Bhaker, who became the first Indian woman to win two medals at the same Paris 2024 Olympic, spoke about her responsibility as a citizen.

"Being the youth of this country, it is our responsibility to cast our vote for the most suitable candidate. Small steps lead to big goals," Bhaker said. Accompanying her to the polling booth was her mother, Sumedha Bhaker, as they participated in the democratic process together.

Speaking to the media after casting her vote, Bhaker reflected on her childhood memories of accompanying her parents to polling stations and how it inspired her to take part in the process herself. "I voted for the first time, and it feels great to finally contribute to the nation's development," she said.

Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, also spoke about the significance of voting. "Manu is the brand ambassador and a youth icon for voting. We vote in every election. How will our village develop if we do not vote?" he stated, urging citizens to fulfill their civic duty.

Bhaker's voting debut follows her historic performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she claimed two bronze medals-one in the women's individual 10m air pistol final and another in the mixed team 10m air pistol final alongside Sarabjot Singh.

These achievements made her the first Indian female shooter to win two medals at the Olympics, cementing her place in the country's sporting history. The Haryana elections have seen the participation of 1,031 candidates, with only 101 women contesting across the 90 constituencies.

The election is a critical one, with major parties like the BJP, Congress, and AAP in a tough battle, while key alliances, including INLD-BSP and JJP-ASP, are also in the fray. Voting began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm, with results expected on October 8.