Haryana to vote on October 5: Why EC revised assembly election date

The Election Commission on Saturday deferred the Haryana assembly poll date to October 5 from October 1. (Courtesy: PTI photo)

The Election Commission on August 31 revised the polling date for Haryana from October 1 to October 5. As per the new schedule, the votes will now be counted of October 8 instead of October 4.

Last week, the Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had requested the poll body to postpone the assembly elections citing holidays before and after the election date. The party wrote to the EC that the holiday period could result in low voter turnout.

The letter was sent by Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli to the poll panel. "It is brought to your notice that on 28.09.2024 (Saturday) and 29.09.2024 (Sunday), there will be a weekly holiday in all government and private institutions of the state. Due to polling day on 01.10.2024 (Tuesday), all government and private institutions will remain closed on this day as per law. Then on 02.10.2024, there will be a national holiday on Gandhi Jayanti," he wrote in the letter.

Here's why EC deferred polling

According to the Election Commission, the decision has been taken keeping in mind a centuries-old festival of the Bishnoi community. This year, the festival falls on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar will be travelling to Rajasthan on the day, denying them their voting rights.

"It is in honour of the both the voting rights and traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a 300-400-year-old practice in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar," the poll body said.

The EC had received a representation from the national president of All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner, Rajasthan for rescheduling the date for the Haryana assembly elections.

Has the poll body deferred elections in the past?

This is not the first time that the Election Commission has revised the election schedule. In the past too, the poll body adjusted election dates to respect the sentiments of various communities.

In the 2023 Rajasthan assembly elections, the EC rescheduled polling due to Devuthani Ekadashi, a day significant for mass weddings in Rajasthan.

Likewise, in 2022 the poll body postponed elections in Punjab by a week in order to accomodate devotees to travel to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh for Guru Ravidas Jayanti.

In the same year, election date for Manipur was also revised to respect the Christian community's Sunday prayers.

Initial schedule

The EC on August 16 announced that assembly polls in Haryana would be held in a single phase on October 1 and the results would be declared on October 4.

The BJP is eyeing a third consecutive term while the Congress is looking to wrest power from the ruling party.