Vinesh Phogat Turns Saving Grace For Congress In Haryana With Julana Victory: 'Truth Has Won'

Congress candidate and former wrestler Vinesh Phogat has secured victory in the Julana assembly seat in Haryana. In her first statement following her win, Phogat said, "Truth has won."

Her triumph comes despite the ruling BJP surpassing the majority mark in the Haryana assembly, with leads on 48 seats, while the Congress was ahead on 37, according to the latest trends on the Election Commission's website.

Photo Credit: PTI

BJP's strong performance, poised for a record third term in the state, has contradicted exit polls that had predicted a Congress resurgence.

Undeterred by the trends, the 30-year-old remained optimistic, stating, "Let's wait for sometime. When the certificates will come, Congress will form the government."

The counting of votes from the 5th October Haryana elections began at 8 am on Tuesday.

The Olympian defeated BJP's Captain Yogesh Bairagi, a former Army officer, and former professional wrestler Kavita Dalal from the Aam Aadmi Party-a member of the opposition alliance INDIA at the national level-by a margin of over 6,000 votes.

Phogat, who endured a heart-breaking disqualification at this year's Olympics, joined the Congress on 6th September, and was included in the party's candidate list just hours later.

"I am starting a new innings. I want sportspersons to not have to face what we had to go through," she remarked.

Last year, Phogat spearheaded a lengthy protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was then a BJP MP.

She expressed her gratitude towards the Congress after her political debut, saying, "It is only when times are bad that one finds out who is standing with them. When we were dragged on the roads, every party other than the BJP stood with us and understood our pain and our tears."

The Haryana elections mark the first major head-to-head contest between the BJP and Congress since the Lok Sabha elections, and the results are expected to shape narratives for upcoming polls in other states over the next few months.