JIND: Congress candidate and former wrestler Vinesh Phogat has won the Julana seat by a margin of approximately 6,000 votes, defeating BJP's Captain Yogi Bairegi in a closely contested election.
Phogat's victory was marked by fluctuations, as she trailed in some of the 15 rounds of counting. She briefly left the counting center when she was behind but returned after gaining the lead.
Julana is considered a Jat-dominated seat, with around 185,000 voters, 50% of whom are Jat community members.
Vinesh registered victory at 65080 votes while BJP’s Bairegi lagged behind at 59065.
Meanwhile, INLD-BSP Surender Lather also recorded 10,158 and JJP scored abysmal 2477 votes.
Phogat's loss in the Olympics had evoked sympathy from the public, which likely contributed to her decision to contest the election and ultimately emerge victorious. While Phogat's win is significant, it came with a narrower margin than expected.
Soon after the victory, Vinesh thanked the voters of Julana, calling it a victory for women.
“This is the victory of my long struggle. This is a victory for women, and I am committed to serving the people of my constituency. I will work for the well being of people and comitted to carry out development works, she added.
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