Haryana BJP Asks Election Commission To Postpone Poll Date Due To Long Weekend
Chandigarh: The ruling BJP in Haryana has taken an unusual step ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The party sent a letter to the Election Commission, asking for the October 1 poll date to be postponed. They claim that several holidays around that date could lead to fewer people voting.
However, the opposition parties, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), are calling this a panic move. They believe the BJP fears losing the election. Even Abhay Chautala’s INLD has joined the call to move the polling date.
Haryana BJP leader Mohan Lal Badoli sent the letter. Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal confirmed that the Election Commission received it last Friday via email. “We have received the communication from state BJP and forwarded it to the Election Commission,” Agarwal said.
Reasons Behind the Request
Varinder Garg of the BJP’s state election management committee explained the reason for the request. “The election date of October 1 is surrounded by holidays that might lead to lower voter turnout,” he said.
To elaborate, September 28 and 29 are a Saturday and Sunday, followed by the poll holiday on October 1. Then comes Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 and Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti on October 3. “If people take a day off on September 30, they’ll have six consecutive holidays. Many families might use this time to go on vacation,” said Mohan Lal Badoli in his letter to the EC.
He also pointed out that October 2 is ‘Asoj Amavasya,’ a date when many members of the Bishnoi community travel to Nokha tehsil in Bikaner, Rajasthan, for an annual fair. This, too, could affect voting numbers.
Ensuring Maximum Participation
Mohan Lal Badoli’s letter emphasized the Election Commission’s goal of maximum voter participation. He suggested that changing the poll date to a time without adjacent holidays would help achieve this.
He also mentioned past instances where poll dates were shifted for similar reasons. For example, in 2022, the Punjab Assembly election date was moved from February 14 to February 20 because February 16 was Sant Ravidas Jayanti.
Opposition’s Reaction
Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda was quick to respond, saying the BJP’s request showed they had already accepted defeat. “It has been more than a week since the Election Commission announced the poll date. The BJP is trying to delay the inevitable,” said Hooda, who is also the Leader of the Opposition and a former chief minister of Haryana.
Deepender Hooda, Bhupinder Hooda’s son and Rohtak MP, also criticized the BJP. “This shows how scared the BJP is of the elections. They have no achievements to show and no strong candidates, so they’re making excuses to postpone the elections,” he said on social media.
The AAP’s Haryana unit echoed these sentiments, accusing the BJP of looking for excuses because they anticipate defeat. The AAP stated that if the BJP had done good work in the state, they wouldn’t be asking to postpone the elections.
INLD’s Position
Even the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) joined in, with Abhay Chautala saying the poll date should be postponed by one or two weeks. “People tend to go on holidays during long weekends, which could reduce the voting percentage by 15 to 20 percent,” Chautala said.
What’s Next?
The Election Commission announced on August 16 that the Haryana assembly polls would take place on October 1, with results to be declared on October 4. The BJP aims for a third consecutive term, while the Congress hopes to regain control.
The current Haryana Vidhan Sabha’s term ends on November 3, so any changes to the poll date would need to be made soon. The situation is fluid, and it remains to be seen how the Election Commission will respond to the BJP’s request.
(This story has not been edited by India Press Live staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
