India News
A 'beti' (daughter) is competing against a 'bahu' (daughter-in-law) in Julana, the cradle of Indian wrestling, in the Haryana Assembly elections on October 5.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has pitted Kavita Dalal, India's first woman World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler who belongs to Julana, in a bid to pin down Olympic wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat, who belongs to Balali in Charkhi Dadri district but her in-laws belong to Julana and is contesting on Congress ticket. Both are making their debut in the political ring.
In rural Haryana, where wrestling is a way of life, the glitz of film stars and celebrities takes a backseat.
The BJP has fielded professional pilot Yogesh Bairagi, 35, from this seat in Jind district. He's the Vice President of the state BJP's youth wing and is also making an electoral debut.
Commonwealth and Asian Games gold medallist Phogat, 30, and Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia were the high profile faces last year in the "grappling battle" against then Wrestling Federation of India chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Likewise, Dalal, 38, accused the then president of the Indian Weightlifting Federation Harbhajan Singh in 2023 of sexual harassment during her career. She won a gold medal in the 75 kg category at the 2016 South Asian Games.
While Phogat is the first Indian woman grappler to reach the Olympics final but was disqualified after being found overweight by about 100 grams in her 50-kg category weigh-in, Dalal, who joined the AAP in 2022, began her career in weightlifting before switching over to professional wrestling.
Dalal believes her fight will not be against Phogat but against the difficulties people are facing. "People in the Julana constituency will vote for her daughter rather than opting for an outsider (Phogat)," she told IANS. Dalal is seeking votes for the development of the constituency and political accountability.
Firmly opining that this is a one-sided election, she said: "I have entered the field (of politics) to take forward the developmental policies of Arvind Kejriwal; be it setting up of Mohalla Clinics, stadiums, schools or colleges and be it an issue of safety of women, they all inspired me to join politics. In Julana, you will find no roads but potholes."
Meanwhile, without failing to mention her fight against the sexual harassment of women athletes and the plight of farmers in the region, one of the top producers of rice and wheat in the country, Phogat in her public meetings takes the BJP government to task for "using force against farmers and government employees". "Now is the time to seek revenge and vote them out," she said.
During her visits to the constituency, "Vinesh, the next sports minister" chants by her supporters rent the air.
On Dalal's catchword to seek votes by referring to her as 'Julana ki Beti' (daughter of Julana), Vinesh is seeking votes as 'Julana ki Bahu' (daughter-in-law), citing her husband's native place in the constituency.
Phogat, who firmly believes that her victory is assured despite her party not being able to win this seat since 2009, filed her nomination on September 11 in the presence of Congress leader and Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and Sonipat MP Satpal Brahmachari.
Haryana's regional outfit Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), an offshoot of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), has retained its sitting legislator Amarjeet Dhanda from Julana. The JJP is contesting the polls this time with its alliance partner Azad Samaj Party (ASP-Kanshi Ram).
Dhanda believes that the people in his constituency are happy with his work and he has been available for them round the clock.
Voting for the 90 assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and votes will be counted on October 8.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in
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