Haryana poll date changed to Oct 5; counting for both J&K, Haryana on Oct 8: ECI

The Election Commission said the decision was taken considering the mass movement of the Bishnoi community of Haryana to Rajasthan due to the Asoj Amavasya festival, which could lead to reduced voter participation

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has changed the polling date for the Haryana assembly elections from October 1 to October 5, considering the mass movement of the Bishnoi community of Haryana to Rajasthan due to the Asoj Amavasya festival, which could lead to reduced voter participation. The Phase-3 polling of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on October 1, as was announced by the poll body earlier. However, the counting for both the states will now happen on October 8 (instead of October 4) and the polls must be completed before October 10 (instead of October 6).

The Phase-3 polling of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on October 1, as was announced by the Election Commission earlier.

“[R]epresentations have been received from National Political Parties, State Political Party and All India Bishnoi Mahasabha regarding mass movement of people of Bishnoi community of Haryana to Rajasthan to participate in centuries old Asoj Amavasya festival celebration. It may deny voting rights to large number of people and may lead to reduce [sic] voters’ participation in general election to legislative assembly of Haryana,” the ECI said in a press note on Saturday.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Haryana state unit chief Mohanlal Badoli, in a letter dated August 22, had urged the ECI to change the date of the polls in Haryana. He had written that September 28 and September 29 are a weekend, October 1 would have been a holiday because of polling, and October 2 is a national holiday because of Gandhi Jayanti. He had said that this could lead to many people taking an extended leave from September 28 to October 2, thereby reducing voter turnout. He also talked about how the Bishnoi community would likely be absent on October 1 due to their annual pilgrimage to Mukam village in Rajasthan.

THe Congress, however, had dismissed BJP’s concerns and interpreted it as a sign of the party’s nervousness. Congress MP Deepinder Hooda had said that the BJP was giving “childish arguments” after “seeing its defeat in front”.