The logo of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Credit: PTI File Photo
The Election Commission on Saturday announced the rescheduling of the Haryana Assembly polls from October 1 to 5 and the date for vote counting to October 8, following representations from the ruling BJP and a community organisation, among others, seeking a change in dates over a festival.
There will be no change in the polling date for Jammu and Kashmir but the counting of votes will now be held along with Haryana. The poll body had on August 16 announced that Haryana will go to polls on October 1 while elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be held on September 18, 25 and October 1 and the counting of votes would be done on October 4.
The EC said it received representations from “national parties, state party and All India Bishnoi Mahasabha” regarding the mass movement of people of the Bishnoi community of Haryana to Rajasthan to participate in centuries old Asoj Amavasya festival celebration.
“It may deny voting rights to a large number of people and may lead to reduced voters’ participation in the general election to the legislative assembly of Haryana,” the EC said in a statement announcing the change in schedule.
The Asoj Amavasya festival holds religious importance as it commemorates Guru Jambheshwar, who founded the Hindu sect.
Earlier, the BJP had expressed concern over October 1, falling on Tuesday, as the poll date, saying an extended weekend could lead to a lower voter turnout. Its argument was that September 30 is a Monday and since October 2 was a national holiday, people could travel during the day of voting. INLD had also supported the idea of changing the poll schedule.
Congress and AAP had attacked the BJP for its demand, claiming that it showed that the saffron party is scared of a defeat in the state.
While announcing the poll schedule earlier this month, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had said that the poll body has ensured that the dates of the poll do not lead to long weekends.
In a representation to the EC, Haryana BJP chief M L Badoli said that people may go on vacation around October 1 as September 28 is a Saturday, which is a holiday for many, followed by Sunday. October 1 will also be a holiday owing to polling day and October 2 being Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, while October 3 is a holiday owing to Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti.
He argued that people may use this to skip voting and it could have an impact on voter turnout. EC sources said the change in date also ensured that there is no possibility of people taking a day's leave on September 30 so that there is a six-day holiday to skip voting.
EC officials said the poll body had rescheduled poll dates to respect the sentiments of communities earlier as well and cited the example of Punjab Assembly elections in 2022. They said it postponed the polls by a week to ensure that devotees travelling to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti do not miss the opportunity to vote.
The 2022 Manipur Assembly polls also saw a change of poll date to respect the Christian community’s Sunday prayers, while in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly elections, the EC rescheduled polling for Devuthani Ekadashi, a day significant for mass weddings in Rajasthan. The Uttar Pradesh polls in 2012 also saw rescheduling of poll days, they added.