"It is everyone's personal decision": Babita Phogat on sister Vinesh Phogat contesting on Congress ticket

Babita is not contesting the election this time whereas Vinesh is a Congress candidate from Julana Assembly Constituency.

Vinesh, who was a prominent figure in protests against BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh last year, joined the Congress party on September 6. She faces BJP candidate Captain Yogesh Bairagi in Julana, with votes to be counted on October 8. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 40 seats while Congress secured 30

On Saturday, Babita arrived at a polling station in Charkhi Dadri to cast her vote for the 2024 Haryana elections.

The former wrestler requested the people of Haryana to come out and vote in large numbers.

"For the welfare and development of the state, I would urge everyone to come out and vote in large numbers. This is your biggest responsibility as a citizen of this country... It is everyone's personal decision which party they want to be affiliated with. It's her choice and I respect her (Vinesh Phogat's) decision..." Babita said while speaking to ANI.

This election is a high-stakes battle as the BJP is eyeing a third straight term to power in the state, the Congress party is aiming to wrest back power riding on anti-incumbency, and issues of farmer protests and wrestler protests.

The key contesting parties in Haryana include the BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as well as the pre-poll alliance between the Indian National Lok Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party (INLD-BSP) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)-Azad Samaj Party (ASP).

Voting began for 90 assembly seats in Haryana on Saturday and saw a voter turnout of 9.53 per cent till 9 AM, the Election Commission of India said.

As per the data shared by the ECI, Jind recorded the highest poll percentage of 12.71 per cent, followed by Palwal 12.45 per cent, Ambala 11. 87 per cent, Fatehabad 11.81 per cent, and Mahendragarh 11.51 per cent till 9 AM.

Faridabad recorded an 8.82 per cent turnout, whereas Gurgaon had 6.10 per cent, Hisar 8.49 per cent and Jhajjar 8.43 per cent turnout till 9 AM.

According to Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer, Pankaj Agarwal, 2,03,54,350 voters, including 1,07,75,957 males, 95,77,926 females, and 467 third-gender voters, will cast their votes in the Assembly Elections on October 5. A total of 1,031 candidates are contesting across 90 constituencies, and 20,632 polling booths have been set up for the election.

In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP won 40 of the 90 seats, forming a coalition government with the JJP, which won 10 seats. The Congress secured 31 seats. However, JJP later broke out of the coalition. (ANI)