On Thursday, wrestler Vinesh Phogat submitted her nomination as the Congress candidate for the Julana Assembly Constituency in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. She made this announcement alongside Congress MP Deepender S Hooda. Phogat’s decision to retire from wrestling preceded her joining the Congress party.
Following the filing of her nomination, Phogat expressed her gratitude, stating, “It is a matter of good fortune for me that I am entering politics. We are working hard for the welfare of every section. I am grateful for the love the people of Julana are giving me…”
#WATCH | Jind, Haryana: After filing her nomination, Congress candidate from Julana Assembly Constituency Vinesh Phogat says, “It is a matter of good fortune for me that I am entering politics. We are working hard for the welfare of every section. I am grateful for the love the… pic.twitter.com/ZtFSCu7Cgq
— ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2024
Phogat, 30, had been in the spotlight for her performance in the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling category, where she was expected to win at least a silver medal. Unfortunately, her aspirations were dashed when she was disqualified on the day of her final bout for being 100 grams over the weight limit.
The day after her disqualification, Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling. On September 6, both Phogat and fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia joined the Congress, with Phogat being nominated for the Julana constituency for the Haryana Assembly elections scheduled for October 5.
In response to Phogat’s political move, Babita Phogat, who joined the BJP in 2019, accused senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda of driving a wedge in the Phogat family. Speaking to the press, Babita stated, “Bhupinder Hooda succeeded in creating a rift in the Phogat family. People will teach him a lesson. The Congress’s agenda has been to divide and rule. They have always worked to break families.” She also criticized Vinesh for not heeding the advice of Mahavir Phogat, her father and Vinesh’s uncle, adding, “Mahavir Phogat is Vinesh’s guru. She should have obeyed her guru. Guru shows the right path.”
The Haryana Assembly elections will be held in a single phase covering all 90 seats on October 5, 2024. The deadline for filing nominations is September 12, and the vote counting will take place on October 8, 2024.