Vinesh Phogat secures Victory from Julana amid BJP's huge Haryana Triumph

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Vinesh Phogat secured a victory in her own constituency as the former India wrestler secured her win in the Julana constituency in the Haryana Legislative Assembly election on Tuesday (October 8).

Representing the Indian National Congress, Phogat contested the election from the Julana constituency, showcasing her transition from sports to the political arena.

Phogat's foray into politics follows a distinguished career in wrestling, which saw her reaching the final of the Olympics in Paris a few months prior. However, her Olympic journey took an unexpected turn when she was disqualified on the day of the final match for not meeting the weight requirements in her category. This led to a legal battle against the Olympic committee's decision, a fight she ultimately did not win.

After her Olympic setback, Phogat returned to India and quickly immersed herself in the political landscape by joining the Indian National Congress (INC). Her decision to enter politics was marked by her active involvement in the electoral contest in Haryana, her home state. The Julana constituency, approximately 80 km from her birthplace in Balali, Charkhi Dadri district, became the stage for her political debut.

Phogat's Battle Against BJP - As it Happened

In the months leading up to the election, Phogat found herself in a direct confrontation with the Bharatiya Janata Party's Yogesh Kumar. Although she was leading in the early trends, the wrestler started to trail for a brief time. But after the Round 6 of counting, she rallied back strongly in the race.

Vinesh finally won the election by a margin of 6015 votes. The INC candidate received 65080 votes, whereas her closest competitor was BJP's Yoesh Kumar, who managed 59065 votes.

As the people of Haryana await the final mandate, the BJP has already established a significant lead, positioning itself as the majority party in the state. Although Indian National Congress had high hopes and many exit polls predicted a landslide in favour of Congress, BJP looks set to form the government yet again.