Haryana is a battleground for lions Vinesh Phogat and Yogesh Bairagi who are both vying for the Julana seat. Phogat took an early lead but has now been surpassed by BJP’s Bairagi.
Early trends showed that the wrestler was leading by a margin of 214 votes. It’s an uphill battle for Phogat who is contesting on a Congress ticket. She is now trailing, losing the lead to Bairagi who has 9404 votes.
The BJP is looking for a third consecutive term in Haryana but faces a swift battle from Congress’ Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
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Vinesh Phogat Making a Mark For Herself
After losing out on the Olympic medal, Vinesh Phogat, 30, has diversified her career by stepping into politics. She has voiced her concerns about farmers’ issues and in August joined the farmers’ protest at the Shambhu border demanding a legal guarantee of MSP for crops.
Phogat said farmers should be heard and they must get their rights. “We are citizens of this country and if anyone raises an issue, it should be heard.” She also drew concerns about everything being linked to one’s caste or religion.
The wrestler-turned-politician, in recent years, has faced challenges – from registering a sexual assault case against former head of the Wrestling Federation of India Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh (former BJP MP) to participating in farmers’ protests and Olympic medal controversy.
However, she is determined to have her concerns and voice heard. And now Phogat is contesting in Julana. She is called ‘Julana’s babu’ as she is married to Somveer Rathi who is from one of the villages in Julana.
