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.
Published 05 October 2024, 14:23 IST