Chandigarh: Olympian Vinesh Phogat, who was fighting on Congress ticket, has defeated Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Yogesh Kumar to win Julana assembly seat in Haryana election on Tuesday.
The wrestler defeated her BJP rival by a margin of 6,015 votes in her first election. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidate Surender Lather came distant third in constituency, which falls in Jind district.
Notably, this is Congress' first win in Julana seat in 19 years.
The counting of votes polled for the 90-member assembly seats began at 8 am on Tuesday. The election in Haryana was held on October 4.
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Vinesh speaks to reporters
Talking to reporters after her win, she said: "This is the fight of every girl and woman who always chooses the challenging path. This country has given me so much love and I will never disapoint them."
Vinesh joins Cong in Sept
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The wrestler, who faced disqualification in recently-concluded Paris Olympics in 50kg wait category, joined the Congress on September 6. Before joining the Congress, Phogat, along with others wrestlers, protested against Ex-Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harrasment.