Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: Over 60% voter turnout as BJP hopes to retain power and Congress seeks comeback after 10 years

New Delhi: At least 61.32 per cent of 2.03 crore voters exercised their franchise in the Haryana Assembly elections on Saturday, sealing the fate of 1,031 candidates in 90 seats amid the BJP hoping to return to power for a third time and the Congress seeking a comeback after 10 years.

Though there were minor incidents, polling was held in peaceful atmosphere, as top contenders like Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and wrestler-turned Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat, INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala and the JJP's Dushyant Chautala hoped to win.

In Nuh district, there were reports of scuffle between supporters of Congress sitting MLA from Punhana and independent candidate Rahish Khan. Haryana Jan Sevak Party nominee from the Meham constituency Balraj Kundu alleged that former MLA Anand Singh Dangi of assaulting him and his assistant at a polling booth.

Polling began at 7 AM and ended at 6 PM. The turnout was recorded at 61.32 per cent at 7:20 PM on the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout App. The voter turnout in 2019 was 68 per cent while in the recent Lok Sabha elections it was 64.8 per cent.

Polling was very low in Gurugram (49.97 per cent) and Faridabad (51.90 per cent) districts, both neighbouring the national capital. The highest turnout was in Mewat district, also near the national capital, at 68.28 per cent followed by Yamunanagar district where 67.93 per cent voted. Fatehabad also saw good turnout at 67.05 per cent.

The BJP is fighting 89 seats while it has left Sirsa seat for Haryana Lokhit Party chief Gopal Kanda. Congress is contesting in 89 seats, leaving Bhiwani to its ally CPI(M). AAP and INLD-BSP and JJP-ASP (Kanshiram) alliances are also contesting all seats. 

Among the early voters were Saini, Hooda, former Chief Minister ML Khattar, Olympic medal winner Manu Bhaker and senior Congress leaders Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala. Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal went to cast his vote on horseback and said "riding a horse is considered auspicious and people ride horses while going to attend weddings. That is why I came on a horse for this auspicious work."

Saini said, "The Congress has a dual face, they talk of honesty but they indulge in loot. The mood of the people of Haryana is clear, the BJP is going to form the government for the third time with a big mandate."  Hooda countered it saying, "BJP is on its way out, the Congress is coming back to power."

 INLD's Chautala claimed that neither the Congress nor the BJP will win a majority while JJP leader Dushyant Chautala said he wanted to appeal to the people of Haryana to ensure that their votes decide the future of the state. 

Assembly Elections 2024 | In the first assembly polls since the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi and the BJP face a rejuvenated and vindicated Opposition in the Haryana assembly polls. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir is voting after almost a decade and it remains to be seen how the abrogation of Article 370 has impacted the political landscape of the Valley. Track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.