Former wrestler and Congress leader Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday won the Julana constituency, by a margin of 6015 votes, in the Haryana Legislative Assembly election. She defeated BJP candidate Yogesh Kumar.

Speaking to reporters after winning the Julana seats, she said: “This is the fight of every girl, every woman who chooses the path to fight. This is the victory of every struggle, of truth. I will maintain the love and trust that this country has given me.”

“Now that I have entered here, I will continue here. People have given me their love, I will have to work for them on ground. It is not possible to work on both simultaneously (politics and wrestling),” Phogat added.

On Congress trailing in the Haryana elections, Phogat requested to wait a little as the complete results have not yet come. “When we get the final certificate, results will be in our favour,” she said.

On her victory, wrestler Bajrang Punia congratulated the former Olympic wrestler and said the fight was not just for one Julana seat, it was not just with 3-4 other candidates, it was not just a fight between parties but the fight was against the strongest oppressive forces in the country.

“Many congratulations to the country’s daughter Vinesh Phogat for her victory. This fight was not just for one Julana seat, it was not just with 3-4 other candidates, it was not just a fight between parties. This fight was against the strongest oppressive forces in the country. And Vinesh emerged victorious,” he said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as the party appears set for a record third term in the state, said: “I would like to thank the people of Haryana. Many efforts were made to mislead the people of Haryana in the name of protests of farmers and wrestlers. However, people have praised the policies of BJP.”

Former Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, alleged that he has the inputs that counting is being stopped at several places. “We are getting the majority. This is a game, the ball is sometimes here, sometimes there but we will do the final goal,” he said.

“As per the input I have with me, we are touching the majority. Congress is getting the majority. There are several seats that we have won…but the same is yet to be updated,” the senior Congress leader said.

Responding to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh over his memorandum on the display of results on the EC website, the Commission said it unequivocally rejects the Congress’s attempt to surreptitiously give credence to irresponsible, unfounded and uncorroborated malafide narratives.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Tuesday that his son and party vice president Omar Abdullah will be the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the Election Commission of India, the National Conference vice president has won the Budgam seat, defeating PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi by more than 18,000 votes.

“It (referring to NC’s decision to form an alliance with Congress) was very good decision, we stand with India and we don’t stand alone. If the state has to progress, we’ve to stand with the rest of the nation, so that we could remove the tragedies that have occurred in these 10 years,” said National Conference president Farooq Abdullah as trends show Congress-NC alliance heading towards victory.

National Conference workers and supporters were seen celebrating outside Sher-i-Kashmir Bhawan in Jammu as trends show Congress-NC alliance heading towards victory in the Union Territory elections.

Speaking to reporters, Omar said, “We have once again got the opportunity to serve the people of Kashmir. In the past five years, several attempts have been made to finish JKNC, but with God’s grace, those who came to finish us have themselves been wiped out.”

Meanwhile, PDP leader Iltija Mufti, as trends show NC-Congress alliance heading towards victory in J&K elections, said, “This is a democracy and people have the right to elect their representatives, and this is something which I’ve said since beginning. The seats which we’ve lost have gone to the National Conference. So, I accept it.”

Choudhary Lal Singh, a veteran Congress leader, was defeated by BJP candidate Darshan Kumar in the Basholi seat in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district.

According to the EC website, Singh secured 15,840 votes but lost to Kumar by a margin of 16,034 votes. Kumar, who consistently maintained a lead, garnered 31,874 votes. Singh, a three-time MLA and two-time MP, faced a challenging task in trying to reclaim his traditional stronghold for the fourth time.

Earlier today, the NC president met party workers at his residence in Srinagar, as the National Conference-Congress alliance is likely to form government in Jammu and Kashmir with poll trends showing the combine ahead in 51 of the 90 seats while the BJP was leading in 28.

National Conference leader Tanvir Sadiq was officially declared as a winner from the Zadibal Assembly constituency.

The counting of votes in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir kicked off on Tuesday, with trends showing BJP is leading on most of the seats of 90 members in state, while Congress and National Conference alliance is set to form the government in the Union Territory.

In a dramatic turnaround in Haryana, the BJP has surged ahead to lead in 49 seats in the state, overturning the early lead that the Congress had. In this election, the Congress relied heavily on the support of the Jat community, especially due to their discontent with the BJP over the farmers’ agitation and the wrestlers’ protest.

Meanwhile, Congress filed a complaint to ECI, claiming between 9 and 11 am there has been an ‘unexplained slowdown’ in updating Haryana results on the poll body’s website.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday alleged that pressure was being exerted on local administration and that the results for 10-12 rounds have come, but the update on ECI website and (TV) channels is only for four-five rounds.

“We are submitting a memorandum in the next five-six minutes. We hope ECI answers our questions. The results for 10-12 rounds have come, but the update on ECI website and (TV) channels is only for four-five rounds. This is a way to keep pressure on the administration. This happened in the Lok Sabha polls too, and we had gone to the ECI and it took action,” the Congress leader said.

“Like the Lok Sabha results, the election trends in Haryana are also being deliberately shared slowly on the Election Commission’s website. Is the BJP trying to put pressure on the administration?”, Ramesh said in a post on X.

Reacting to the statement, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “If Jairam Ramesh is pointing fingers at Election Commission, then we should understand that they have accepted their defeat. As per the trends, I feel we are moving towards an important victory and Congress has started taking precautionary measures for their future defeat.”  

Congress MP Kumari Selja said,” Congress will make the government. Rounds of counting of votes are underway. to BJP, I would like to say that everyone should have patience. I can’t understand why the data is coming so slowly. It wasn’t so in Lok Sabha elections. As per the ground reports, it is a close contest.”

For the Union Territory, the Congress and National Conference ahead with 50 seats, while BJP on 28, Others – 10, as per Election Commission of India data.

Speaking to reporters on J&K result trends, former Deputy CM and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said, ” BJP is not far behind. We had told that we will win 35 seats and we are reaching nearby towards the last round, we will achieve our target. We can only say something once the result comes but it has to be accepted that currently they (NC-Congress) are leading and if they win, they will form the government.”