Picture Credit: X
Olympian turned politician, Vinesh Phogat etched victory from the Julana constituency in the Haryana Assembly elections. The Indian wrestler, who made the headlines after her disqualification at the Paris Olympic Games in August 2024, on Tuesday, October 8 registered victory by over 6000-plus votes.
Phogat, earlier this year announced retirement from wrestling after being disqualified from the Olympic Games in Paris, just hours prior to her gold medal match. While she became the first Indian women wrestler to make into the final round of the 50kg category, she was handed a heartbreak as she overweighed by 100 gm, forcing her out of the quadrennial Games.
Vinesh Phogat wins on politics debut; beats BJP opponent by over 6000 votes
The former Indian wrestler, who filed nominations from Julana constituency in Jind district, defeated Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate, Yogesh Bairagi in a tight race by 6015 votes. After trailing in the initial stages of the polling on Tuesday, Congress made a comeback with the former wrestler making her mark.
Bajrang Punia reacts on Vinesh Phogat’s historic win
Fellow wrestler and brother-in-law to Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia was among the first one to congratulate Phogat on her win on politics debut. In a post on X (formerly called Twitter), Punia wrote, “Many congratulations to the country’s daughter Vinesh Phogat for her victory. This 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,” he concluded.
