Thu Sep 12 11:04:35 UTC 2024: ## Vinesh Phogat Files Nomination for Haryana Assembly Polls, Congress Confident of Victory

**Jind, September 11, 2024:** Olympic wrestler and Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat filed her nomination for the Julana constituency in Haryana’s Jind district on Wednesday, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle in the upcoming state Assembly elections.

Ms. Phogat, who recently joined the Congress alongside fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia, was accompanied by party leader and Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and Sonipat MP Satpal Brahmachari.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Hooda expressed confidence in Ms. Phogat’s victory, stating she will secure a “big win” for the party. He further declared the Congress’s intention to win an absolute majority in the state under the leadership of Bhupinder Singh Hooda. “People have made up their mind that under Hooda Sahab’s leadership, the Congress has to be brought to power, and the BJP has to be ousted,” he said.

The BJP has fielded former commercial pilot Yogesh Bairagi against Ms. Phogat in the Jat-dominated Julana constituency. Despite hailing from the Charkhi Dadri district, Ms. Phogat’s in-laws reside in Julana, making it a significant seat for her campaign.

Ms. Phogat, 30, retired from wrestling after a disappointing end to her Paris Olympic campaign. She was the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the Olympic final but was disqualified for being overweight. Prior to joining politics, she was at the forefront of the wrestlers’ protest against former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former Wrestling Federation of India chief.

Voting for the 90 Assembly seats in Haryana will take place on October 5, with the results expected to be announced on October 8.

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