New Delhi: The Election Commission has revised the dates for the Haryana assembly elections, pushing back the voting date to October 5, with the results now set to be declared on October 8. Initially, the state was scheduled to vote on October 1, and the results were to be announced on October 4, along with the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. With the new schedule, the results for both states will now be released on October 8.
The change in polling dates comes following a request from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had appealed to the Election Commission to reschedule the elections. The BJP cited the overlap with significant cultural festivities and public holidays, which could potentially affect voter turnout. The Election Commission stated that the decision was made to respect both the voting rights and the cultural traditions of the Bishnoi community, which celebrates the Asoj Amavasya festival in memory of their Guru Jambheshwar during this period.
The original date of October 1 clashed with several holidays, including a weekend on September 28-29 and the public holiday for Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. With these holidays creating a long weekend, there were concerns that many people would leave the city, impacting voter participation.
The announcement follows the Election Commission’s earlier decision, on August 16, to hold simultaneous assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. Elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases — on September 18, 25, and October 1 — while Haryana was initially set for a single-phase poll on October 1.
Due to the revised schedule, the results for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana will now be declared on October 8, instead of October 4. This will be the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, and the first in nearly a decade.
The extension of the voting date in Haryana is expected to accommodate a higher voter turnout, reflecting the Election Commission’s efforts to balance the democratic process with cultural and traditional sensitivities. For Jammu and Kashmir, the upcoming election marks a significant political moment as the region heads to the polls under its new status as a Union Territory, with 90 assembly seats, following delimitation.
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