Vinesh files nomination from Julana seat

Chandigarh: Wrestler-turned-politician and Congress candidate for Haryana Assembly polls Vinesh Phogat filed her nomination from the Julana seat in Jind district on Wednesday. She was accompanied by Congress leader and Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and Sonipat MP Satpal Brahmachari. Thursday is the last day of filing of nominations for next month’s polls.

Speaking to reporters later, Deepender Hooda said Phogat will secure a “big win” for the party and exuded confidence that not just in Julana, the Congress will get an absolute majority in the Haryana Assembly 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 BJP has to be ousted,” he said.

The BJP has fielded Yogesh Bairagi, a former commercial pilot, against Olympian wrestler Phogat in the Jat-dominated Julana Assembly segment. Though Phogat hails from Balali in the Charkhi Dadri district, her in-laws’ hometown is Julana. Bakhta Khera village in Julana is the native village of her husband Somvir Rathee. Before foraying into politics, Phogat (30) retired from wrestling following the shock end to her Paris Olympic campaign. She was the first Indian woman grappler to reach the Olympics final but was disqualified after being found overweight by about 100 grams in her 50-kilogramme category weigh-in.

Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta were among the candidates who filed their nominations on Wednesday for the Assembly polls.