Vinesh Phogat, the wrestler-turned-politician, has successfully secured her first political victory by winning the Julana Assembly seat in Haryana Assembly Elections. The Congress candidate defeated BJP’s Yogesh Bairagi, marking a significant milestone in her career transition from sports to politics.
Phogat’s political journey began soon after her return from the 2024 Olympics, where she missed out on a medal due to a disqualification in the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling final, falling short by just 100 grams. Despite that setback, she achieved an impressive feat by defeating Japan’s four-time world champion Yui Susaki in her Olympic campaign.
Vinesh joined the Congress party and contested from the Julana constituency in Jind district against BJP’s Yogesh Bairagi, a former Indian Army captain and commercial pilot.
Bairagi’s contributions and stature had many predicting a close contest. However, Phogat’s wrestling legacy and newfound political influence connected strongly with voters, helping her secure the seat.
Phogat isn’t the first from her family to venture into politics. Her cousin, Babita Phogat, also contested the Haryana Assembly elections in 2019 but was unsuccessful in her bid.
Vinesh Phogat’s rise in politics comes at a time when the wrestling community in Haryana is facing turbulent times. In January 2023, Vinesh, along with fellow wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, led protests demanding the resignation of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexually harassing junior women wrestlers. The protests shook the wrestling community, leading to a significant drop in participation among young female wrestlers in the state.
Phogat’s victory has brought hope to many women wrestlers in Haryana who see her as a potential change-maker.
Julana, located in the heart of Haryana’s Jind district, is a crucial general seat in the state. In the 2019 elections, the seat was won by Amarjeet Dhanda of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) with over 61,000 votes. With a population of around 15,000, Julana has always been a key political battleground.
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