Julana

Vinesh Phogat, the Congress candidate, achieved a significant victory in the Julana Assembly Constituency in Haryana on Tuesday, defeating BJP’s Yogesh Kumar, according to the Election Commission of India. Vinesh won by a margin of 5,761 votes, securing a total of 65,080 votes after 15 rounds of counting.

Bajrang Punia, another wrestler and Congress leader who joined the party just days before the elections, took to social media to congratulate Vinesh. He expressed that her victory was more than just winning a seat; it was a triumph against powerful oppressive forces in the country.

This win marks a historic moment for Congress, as it has not won the Julana seat in 19 years. However, as the BJP looks to secure a hat-trick in the Haryana Assembly, Congress raised concerns over discrepancies in the vote count data provided by the Election Commission. Pawan Khera, Congress’ General Secretary, pointed out a mismatch between the number of rounds counted and what was being reported on television, suggesting potential pressure on local administration due to delayed data updates.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh echoed these concerns, questioning whether the BJP was attempting to influence the results by providing outdated information.