Wrestler and Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat won the Julana Assembly constituency in Haryana on Tuesday, according to data from the Election Commission.

Phogat was declared winner with a margin of 6,015 over the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Yogesh Kumar. The Aam Aadmi Party’s Kavita Rani, a former World Wrestling Entertainment star, was placed fifth.

Follow Scroll’s coverage of the 2024 Haryana Assembly election result here

The Aam Aadmi Party fielded candidates for all 90 Assembly seats in the state after talks of an alliance with the Congress failed.

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party are constituents of the Opposition INDIA bloc that was formed ahead of the Lok Sabha election to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. They remain opponents in Punjab, Delhi and Haryana.

Phogat, along with fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia, had joined the Congress on September 6. Following this, she was named the party’s candidate from Julana for the Assembly elections.

While addressing reporters after joining the Congress, Phogat spoke about the protests against former Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, in which she had participated.

In January 2023, several top Indian wrestlers, including Phogat, Punia and Sakshi Malik, launched a protest against Singh, accusing him of intimidation and sexual harassment. The protestors were manhandled by the police at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on May 3, 2023.

“When we were being dragged on the road, all of you were with us except the BJP,” the three-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist had said.

The Legislative Assembly in Haryana has 90 members and 46 seats are required for a majority.

The Assembly polls in Haryana took place in a single phase on Saturday. A turnout of 67.9% was recorded.

Most exit polls had projected the Congress to win a clear majority.

Also read: Vinesh Phogat is winning over Haryana’s women – but is still wrestling with a tough election