Election Commission Reschedules Haryana Polls to Respect Centuries-Old Festival

The Election Commission has postponed the Haryana assembly poll date to October 5 from October 1, considering the Bishnoi community's centuries-old festival. The vote count for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana will now occur on October 8. The decision upholds both voting rights and longstanding traditions.

The Election Commission has announced the postponement of the Haryana assembly polls from October 1 to October 5, citing the centuries-old festival of the Bishnoi community as the reason.

The vote count for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana will now take place on October 8, instead of the initially scheduled October 4. According to the poll body, it is a standard practice to hold vote counting on the same day for states voting concurrently, as the results of one state can influence trends in the others.

The rescheduling, requested by the Bishnoi community's representatives, aims to respect their annual festival in remembrance of Guru Jambheshwar, which sees families from Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan traveling to their native village Mukam in Rajasthan.

(With inputs from agencies.)