Haryana polls: Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat files nomination from Julana seat

Thursday is the last day of filing of nominations for next month's polls.

Speaking to reporters later, Deepender Hooda said Phogat will secure a "big win" for the party and exuded confidence that not just in Julana, the Congress will get an absolute majority in the Haryana Assembly under the leadership of Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

"People have made up their mind that under Hooda sahab's leadership, the Congress has to be brought to power and BJP has to be ousted," he said.

The BJP has fielded Yogesh Bairagi, a former commercial pilot, against Olympian wrestler Phogat in the Jat-dominated Julana Assembly segment.

Though Phogat hails from Balali in the Charkhi Dadri district, her in-laws' hometown is Julana. Bakhta Khera village in Julana is the native village of her husband Somvir Rathee.

Before foraying into politics, Phogat (30) retired from wrestling following the shock end to her Paris Olympic campaign. She was the first Indian woman grappler to reach the Olympics final but was disqualified after being found overweight by about 100 grams in her 50-kilogramme category weigh-in.

Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who were at the forefront of the wrestlers' protest last year against then Wrestling Federation of India chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, recently joined the Congress.

Voting for the 90 assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the results will be declared on October 8.