Sonali Phogat: A close look at her career and controversies

BJP leader Sonali Phogat , 42, passed away Monday night in Goa after suffering a heart attack. She was no stranger to controversies. She started her career as an anchor on Hisar Doordarshan, followed by her rise to fame as a TikTok star, actress, and Big Boss contestant. On September 21, 1979, Phogat was born in the village of Bhuthan, Hisar. She has a brother, three sisters, and a farmer for a father. She attended Pioneer Convent School in Fatehabad, Haryana for her academic career, and Maharshi Dayanand University, also in Haryana, for her Arts degree. She started working professionally in 2006 as an anchor for Hisar Doordarshan. Two years later, she joined the BJP’s national working committee, where she was elected as Mahila Morcha’s national vice-president.

A few years later, Phogat stopped anchoring and began acting. Her husband Sanjay Phogat was found mysteriously dead, close to his farmhouse in the Hisar district in 2016, while she was in Mumbai pursuing her acting career. Working with actors like Jimmy Shergill and Ravi Kishan was a pleasure for Phogat, who appeared in a few Haryanvi films. She also portrayed the wife of Nawab Shah in the Zee TV programme “Amma." In 2019, she also appeared in the web series ‘The Story of Badmashgarh’ directed by Ameet Choudhary. A well-known Tik-Tok celebrity, Phogat ran for Adampur Assembly against Kuldeep Bishnoi, who was then the Congress’ nominee, in 2019. When she allegedly made a hate speech during her election campaign in the village of Balasmand in the Adampur constituency, she became mired in controversy. She urged people to chant “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and implied that those who did not were Pakistanis in a comment that drew criticism and forced her to issue an apology. In the election, Bishnoi defeated Phogat. She gained notoriety a year later, in 2020 when it was revealed that she would appear in Season 14 of the television reality series Bigg Boss. She entered the Bigg Boss house as a wild card contestant on day 81 of the show.

When a video of her hitting an officer with her slippers went viral on social media, she became embroiled in yet another debate. On June 5, 2020, she went to the officer with a list of grievances from farmers, and that is when the incident happened. Phogat was appointed head of the BJP’s tribal wing in several states, including Haryana, Delhi, and Chandigarh. She had previously worked for the party in the tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. According to those close to her, Phogat, who had travelled to Goa with a few of her employees, was only 42 years old. Om Prakash Dhankar, the BJP state president, described the news as “really sad.” She was with her friends, according to Capt. Bhupender, president of the BJP’s Hisar district. He further added, “We heard about an hour ago that she suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away. Certain formalities are being completed there at Goa after which her body shall be brought to Haryana.” Read all the Latest News _, _ Trending News _, _ Cricket News _, _ Bollywood News _, _ India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook _, _ Twitter and Instagram _._