Vinesh Phogat Advocates for Women’s Rights in Haryana Assembly Elections

During the recent Haryana Assembly elections, Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat cast her vote and underscored her commitment to supporting political parties that prioritize women’s rights and job creation. Phogat, who is representing the Congress party in the Julana constituency, made her stance clear in a statement to the media shortly after voting.

In a conversation with ANI, Phogat declared, “I voted for the party that works for the rights of women and for providing jobs. You all know which party I am speaking about,” implicitly referring to the Congress party. She also emphasized the significance of civic participation, describing the electoral process as a “huge festival for Haryana,” and urged citizens to exercise their right to vote.

Phogat reminisced about the sports environment in Haryana during the tenure of former Congress Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, praising it for its prosperous conditions a decade ago. She noted that decisions such as attaining a ministerial position would lie with the party leadership should she win her electoral contest.

The distinguished 30-year-old wrestler has been outspoken about her transition into politics, describing it as prompted by necessity. In a previous interview with India Today TV, Phogat remarked on her political ambitions stemming from unresolved wrestlers’ protests characterized by mistreatment and humiliation. She stated, “We fought on the streets; what did we gain? We got nothing but mistreatment and humiliation. Entering politics was not a choice but a necessity.”

Phogat’s candidacy brings considerable attention to the Julana constituency, reflecting her status as a celebrated athlete and a member of the Jat community. Previously, the seat was won in 2019 by JJP‘s Amarjeet Dhanda.

The Julana Assembly election is among the most closely watched contests in the 2024 Haryana elections. It features Phogat against notable contenders including Kavita Dalal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), known popularly as ‘Lady Khali’ for her WWE wrestling career, and Bharatiya Janata Party‘s (BJP) Yogesh Bairagi, an ex-commercial pilot and former Indian Army member.

Julana, situated in the Jind district, has a diverse voter base of over 1.85 lakh, with a significant Jat population alongside Brahmin and Scheduled Caste communities. Voter turnout was recorded at 30% by 11 a.m.

Although she is seen as a frontrunner, the Congress party has historically struggled in Julana, finishing third in the last three Assembly elections and securing just 12,440 votes in 2019.

In the previous 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party, capturing 40 out of 90 seats, and later formed a government coalition with the JJP. The 2024 Haryana elections are now underway as a single-phase election spanning all constituencies on October 5, with results expected on October 8.