'Fight of every girl': Vinesh Phogat after winning Julana seat
Vinesh Phogat has called her electoral debut win "the fight of every girl, every woman who chooses the path to fight." "This is the victory of every struggle, truth. I will maintain the love and trust that this country has given me," the wrestler-turned-Congress leader said. She won the Julana constituency in the Haryana Assembly elections 2024. She defeated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Yogesh Kumar by a margin of 6,015 votes.
Phogat's victory marks Congress's return after 19 years
Phogat got a total of 65,080 votes after 15 rounds of counting. This win brings back the Congress to the Julana seat after 19 years. As for trends suggesting a third consecutive term for the ruling BJP in Haryana, Phogat said, "These are early trends wait for some time, earlier I was also trailing but now I won. Nothing is clear now. The Congress party will form its government."
Phogat's election campaign focused on women's rights
Before the elections, Phogat had appealed to voters to "vote for the party that works for rights of women." Fellow Congress leader and wrestler Bajrang Punia, who joined the party along with Phogat just days ahead of the elections, congratulated her on social media. He wrote, "Many congratulations to the country's daughter Vinesh Phogat for her victory... This fight was against the strongest oppressive forces in the country. And Vinesh emerged victorious."
