Daijiworld Media Network

Gurgaon, Oct 24: Babita Kumari Phogat, female wrestler, who won the gold medal in 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2018 Commonwealth Games and contested Haryana assembly from Dadri constituency on BJP ticket, has lost her maiden election.

She has finished third by securing 24,502 votes. Independent candidate Sombir secured 43849 votes, and JJP's Sangwan pushed to second place with 29312 votes.

Dadri is an assembly seat in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha constituency which BJP has never won. Babita became a household name after Bollywood movie 'Dangal', a film was made about the struggles of her father Mahavir Phogat who turned her daughters into wrestlers against social conventions. Explaining her decision to join the BJP, Babita had earlier said she was impressed by the party's ideology and the bold decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Another Haryana's freestyle wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt who won silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 60 kg category contested Haryana's Barod constituency from BJP ticket has lost to Krishan Hooda of Indian National Congress by the margin of 4,900 votes.

Dutt was awarded Padmashri by the Government of India in 2013. He won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games also.

Dutt had said the BJP’s focus on nationalism and moves such as surgical strikes attracted him to join the saffron party which has always put the nation above all.