Haryana Election Date Shift Sparks Political Reactions

The Haryana assembly election date has been shifted from October 1 to October 5. Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda accuses the BJP of fearing electoral defeat, while BJP leader Anil Vij thanks the Election Commission for accommodating their request, citing potential low voter turnout due to holidays.

In response to the Election Commission's recent decision to move the Haryana assembly election date from October 1 to October 5, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the move was a sign of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) anticipation of electoral defeat. "It is the Election Commission's right to extend the date. The BJP has already accepted defeat in Haryana. When the Haryana government wrote to the Election Commission, I said at that time that the BJP had accepted defeat," Hooda stated.

Conversely, BJP leader Anil Vij expressed gratitude toward the Election Commission. "We are thankful to the Election Commission for reacting to our application and changing the dates. We believed that the previous dates would have given people five holidays, which might have reduced voter turnout as people could have gone on trips or attended to urgent matters. The Congress makes baseless comments," Vij remarked. The Commission also adjusted the vote-count date for the Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana Assemblies from October 4 to October 8.

The Election Commission clarified that the decision honors the Bishnoi community's traditions, which involve participating in the Asoj Amavasya festival in honor of Guru Jambheshwar. The Commission had received a representation from the National President of All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, urging for rescheduling the election date originally set for October 1. Families from Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana observe a long-standing tradition of attending the annual festival in Bikaner, affecting thousands of Bishnoi families' ability to vote if the elections were held on the original date.

(With inputs from agencies.)