World Boxing Champion Saweety Boora has announced her intention to contest in the upcoming Haryana assembly elections as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Barwala assembly seat in Hisar.
Announcement and Event
Boora made this announcement during an event on Sunday in her maternal village, Sarsaud, which is part of the Barwala assembly seat. Her native village, Ghirai, falls in the Hansi assembly seat of Hisar. The event was organized by the people of Sarsaud and neighboring villages to honor Boora’s achievements.
Boora stated, “I am a farmer’s daughter, and the farmers will surely bless their daughter. I am a regular worker of the BJP, and I will fulfill any responsibility given to me by the party. Even if I don’t get a ticket, I will continue to work for the party.”
Confidence in Winning
Confident of her victory if given a ticket, Boora said, “Just as I made the country proud in sports and worked with the country’s interest in mind, I will also work with the country’s interest in mind in politics. I am ready to be the voice of women and daughters.”
She emphasized that more than her desire, the people of the Barwala assembly seat want her to contest the election. “In the event organized by Sarsaud and neighboring villages Bichpadi, Jevra, and Juglan, members of 36 communities living in Haryana were present, as were panchs and sarpanchs from 22 villages of the Barwala assembly seat. They all wanted me to contest the upcoming assembly elections from Barwala,” she added.
Political Background
The BJP has never won the Barwala assembly seat, which went to Jannayak Janta Party’s (JJP) Jogi Ram Sihag in the 2019 assembly polls. However, Sihag had a falling out with JJP leader Dushyant Chautala after the latter’s exit from the Haryana government and lent his support to the BJP’s Hisar candidate in the 2024 Parliamentary elections. Despite Congress candidate Jai Parkash leading over his BJP rival Ranjit Singh in six out of nine assembly segments of Hisar, Singh polled 11,657 votes more than Parkash, making Sihag’s claim to a BJP ticket stronger.
Boora’s Life and Achievements
Saweety Boora was born on January 10, 1993, in a family of farmers in Hisar. She grew up in Sarsaud and attended a government school between Sarsaud and Bichpadi villages. Initially excelling in Kabaddi and becoming a state-level player, she switched to boxing in 2009 at her father’s suggestion and has since achieved significant success in the sport.
Boora’s accolades include a silver medal in the 2014 World Boxing Championship in Korea, a silver in the 2022 Asian Championship in Jordan, a silver in the 2015 Asian Championship in China, and a bronze in Dubai in 2021. She won gold in the 2023 Women’s Boxing Championship by defeating Wang Lina of China in the light heavyweight category. A documentary about her journey, titled “Chhori Mukkebaaz,” was released on the OTT platform Stage.
Boora is married to Deepak Hooda, a Kabaddi player from Chamaria village in Rohtak, who has been part of the Indian team that won gold at the 2016 South Asian Games and has participated in all seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Shift to BJP
Before joining the BJP, Boora was critical of the party. Last year, she supported the women wrestlers’ protest against the former Wrestling Federation of India chief over sexual harassment allegations and joined Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Haryana in January.
In January 2024, Boora, influenced by PM Modi, joined the BJP along with her husband in Rohtak. She stated that she was impressed by the BJP’s policies, including the abrogation of Article 370, the construction of the Ram Temple, awarding Bharat Ratna to Chaudhary Charan Singh, and the increased facilities and budget for sports.
Boora’s entry into politics marks a significant move as she aims to leverage her achievements in sports and her new political alignment to make a difference in Haryana’s political landscape.