Wrestling with politics: Vinesh Phogat faces a tough bout in Julana

CHANDIGARH: Once celebrated for her fierce takedowns on the wrestling mat, Olympian Vinesh Phogat now finds herself battling a different kind of opponent—the political landscape of Haryana’s Julana constituency.
Having swapped her wrestling singlet for the traditional salwar-kameez and a dupatta on head, Phogat is embracing the role of a typical Haryanvi Bahu (daughter-in-law) in her in-laws’ town, but her foray into politics has proven far more challenging than expected.
After leaving the wrestling world behind, Phogat made headlines for her surprise entry into Haryana’s political scene. Contesting on a Congress ticket, the wrestler is now grappling with multiple political forces in Julana, a constituency known for its unpredictable voting patterns. What initially seemed like an easy entry into the political ring is now a high-stakes contest as Phogat is locked in a fierce triangular battle, facing threats from both within her party and rival political factions.
In the past two months, Phogat’s transformation has been dramatic. Speaking in the local dialect, Phogat has been trying to connect with voters on the ground, urging them to make their voices heard. “Thamne mera nishan bhi bera hai ke nai, haath ka nishan hai, seedha thappad lagna chahiye aur iski awaj Dilli tak jani chahiye (You all know my symbol, right? It’s the hand. Make your vote heard all the way to Delhi),” she told the women during her campaigning, calling for a resounding electoral slap against her opponents.
However, despite her popularity and fame, Phogat is encountering stiff resistance not only from the opponents but from within her own party. Local Congress leaders, who have been active in the constituency for years, are reportedly unhappy with her last-minute selection as the candidate. Key figures like Parminder Dhull, Dharmender Dhull and Rohit Dalal, who were in the race for the Congress ticket, have apparently distanced themselves from her campaign, signalling internal discord that could weaken Phogat’s chances.
The Julana constituency is dominated by the Jat community, with nearly 82,000 Jat voters. Despite Phogat being a prominent figure from the Jat heartland, she faces a tricky battle because of the presence of other strong Jat candidates. AAP’s Kavita Dalal, herself a former WWE wrestler, poses a significant challenge. With substantial influence in six key villages, Dalal could siphon off votes from Phogat, making her path to victory even more difficult. Adding to the complexity, the sitting MLA, Amarjit Dhanda from the JJP, and Surinder Lathar from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) are also contesting from the same Jat-dominated demographic, further splitting the vote.
But perhaps the most formidable threat to Phogat comes from the BJP’s Captain Yogesh Bairagi, a non-Jat candidate backed by a strong support base from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Scheduled Castes (SC). The BJP’s strategic move to field Bairagi is aimed at consolidating over one lakh non-Jat votes, including significant numbers from the Saini, Dhanak, and Brahmin communities. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to address a rally in nearby Gohana on 25 September, the BJP is throwing its full weight behind Bairagi, making this a high-profile contest.
Despite the hurdles, Phogat remains a crowd-puller, using her bold persona and fiery speeches to win over women and young voters. She frequently references the months-long protests she led against BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the embattled chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, as a testament to her fighting spirit. Phogat’s speeches are often peppered with accusations of negligence against former MLAs and scathing critiques of the BJP-JJP alliance, which she claims has attempted to “topple the turban” of Haryanvi pride.
“You won’t get another chance—this is your opportunity to make a difference,” Phogat said in one of her recent addresses, energizing the crowds but also heightening the stakes of her political journey. Political observers note that Phogat’s entry into the Congress is a calculated move by the party, hoping her star power can flip a seat that has eluded them for the past three elections.
Julana has a history of springing surprises in Haryana politics. No party has been able to establish a stronghold in the constituency, with different parties like Congress, INLD, and JJP alternately holding the seat over the years. While the Congress’ Sher Singh won two consecutive terms in 2000 and 2005, no other Congress leader has been able to reclaim the seat since. The JJP’s Amarjit Dhanda currently holds the seat, having won it in 2019, while INLD candidates claimed victory in 2009 and 2014.
For Phogat, who was disqualified from the Paris 2024 Olympics for being 100 grams overweight, this political bout in Julana is proving just as challenging as her wrestling career. The Julana seat, with its intricate caste and political dynamics, represents a significant challenge for any newcomer, even one with Phogat’s fame.
Interestingly, Phogat’s rivals have largely refrained from personal attacks on the wrestler-turned-politician. Kavita Dalal, her main rival from AAP, told the media, “My fight is not against Vinesh, but against the difficulties people are facing in the constituency.” Similarly, Captain Yogesh Bairagi praised Phogat for making the country proud but emphasized that his campaign would focus on development, not personalities.
BJP’s Bairagi has been actively involved in social service, including relief efforts during the Chennai floods and the Vande Bharat mission during the Covid-19 pandemic, giving him a reputation that resonates with voters beyond caste lines.
According to local journalists, despite being an international sports icon, Vinesh Phogat’s political debut is no cakewalk as multiple contenders vying for the Jat vote and BJP aggressively courting non-Jat communities, have made the political battleground in Julana more intense than ever.
As the election draws closer, it remains to be seen whether Phogat can pin down her political rivals and secure a victory or if Julana’s unpredictable electorate will deliver yet another surprise.