Who was Sonali Phogat, BJP leader-actor who died in Goa?
What's the story
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sonali Phogat (42), who reportedly succumbed to a heart attack in Goa late on Monday, was a politician, actor, and content creator from Haryana. She found nationwide popularity after her wildcard entry on the reality show Bigg Boss 14 (2020-21). Phogat also contested the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections from Adampur against Kuldeep Bishnoi—who represented Congress at the time—but lost.
Family
Her husband had passed away under mysterious conditions
Phogat was born in Bhuthan village in Haryana's Hisar to an agricultural family in 1979. She had three sisters and a brother. She is survived by her 15-year-old daughter Yashodhara Phogat. She was married to Sanjay Phogat, who was the brother-in-law of her sister. However, Sanjay passed away in December 2016 under mysterious circumstances at his farmhouse when she was reportedly in Mumbai.
Acting career
From Doordarshan to web series
Phogat began her career by hosting for Hisar Doordarshan in 2006 and made her acting debut in 2016 with the TV series Amma. She later appeared in Ameet Choudhary's 2019 web series The Story of Badmashgarh. Apart from this, she has been featured in numerous Punjabi and Haryanvi music videos. Her recent web series Saurashtra was launched on August 11 on MX Player.
Political Career
Potential candidate in Adampur by-elections
Phogat joined the BJP in 2008 and rose through the ranks, becoming the national vice-president of the party's Mahila Morcha and also leading the BJP's tribal wings in Haryana, Delhi, and Chandigarh. Notably, Bishnoi joined the BJP last month and resigned as an MLA. He met with Phogat only last week amid reports that she would be the BJP candidate in the Adampur by-elections.
Controversies
She was arrested for assaulting a government official
In 2020, Phogat was arrested for assaulting a government official in Hisar. In a video clip, which had gone viral, she could be seen hitting the district's agricultural market committee official using a slipper, accusing him of making inappropriate remarks about her. While on Bigg Boss, her squabble with actor and fellow contestant Rubina Dilaik had garnered a lot of attention.
Twitter Post
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar's condolence message for Phogat
भाजपा नेत्री श्रीमती सोनाली फोगाट जी के आकस्मिक निधन का बेहद दु:खद समाचार प्राप्त हुआ।
— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) August 23, 2022
ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्मा को अपने श्री चरणों में स्थान दें एवं शोकाकुल परिजनों को यह असीम दु:ख सहन करने की क्षमता प्रदान करें।
ॐ शांति!
Details
Her mortal remains would be brought back to Haryana
Phogat passed away at St. Anthony Hospital in North Goa after complaining of uneasiness, said Goa Director General of Police (DGP) Jaspal Singh. Singh, however, said the exact cause of death would be confirmed after an investigation and postmortem. BJP Hisar district president, Captain Bhupender, has said that after all formalities are completed in Goa, her mortal remains would be brought back to Haryana.