The Election Commission on Saturday postponed the assembly polls in Haryana to October 5, keeping in mind the Bishnoi community festival. The election was earlier scheduled for October 1.
The poll panel said the counting of votes for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly polls will now be held on October 8 instead of October 4.
The Commission said it had received representation from the National President, All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner (Rajasthan), for rescheduling the date of polling set for October 1.
As per the representation, generations of families from Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana have observed a long-standing tradition of visiting their native village Mukam, in Rajasthan during the Amavas in the month of "Asoj" for their annual festival in Bikaner district, in the memory of their Guru Jambheshwar.
This year, the festival will take place on October 2, and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar will be travelling to Rajasthan on the day, denying them their voting rights.
The revised polling day would also resolve any concerns about a six-day holiday by taking a day's leave on September 30, the poll panel said.
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The Commission had, in the past too, revised polling dates to respect the sentiments of various communities. During the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, the polling was postponed by a week to accommodate devotees travelling to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti.
The Commission had also revised polling dates for the 2022 Manipur elections and the 2023 Rajasthan elections.
BJP welcomes move
The BJP has welcomed the Election Commission’s decision to revise the poll schedule in Haryana, saying it will help in getting the maximum voter turnout on polling day.
Several political parties had written to the poll panel to postpone the polling, keeping in mind the Bishnoi community festival.
"During the festival, lakhs of people will go to their homes to celebrate the festival, so the Election Commission has changed the date so that maximum voting takes place in the Haryana Assembly. We welcome the decision of the Election Commission," said BJP co-election in-charge of the Haryana Assembly Biplab Deb.
