The Haryana assembly elections on Saturday saw a turnout of over 60 per cent, a decline from the 2019 figure, with several exit polls predicting a clear majority for the Congress, which is eyeing a comeback after a decade.
According to the Election Commission, the single phase of polls in 90 assembly seats held from 7 am to 6 pm concluded largely peacefully, except for stray incidents of minor scuffles.
Figures available at 7 pm showed the turnout was 61.19 per cent. However, it will further increase once all information comes in, said officials.
In the 2019 assembly polls, Haryana had recorded around 68 per cent turnout while in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year for 10 seats, the percentage was 64.8.
The EC said with a significant population of elderly voters, many above the age of 100 years were seen participating in the electoral festivities with enthusiasm.
The BJP, the Congress, the INLD-BSP and the JJP-Azad Samaj Party alliances and the Aam Aadmi Party are the key parties contesting the polls.
A total of 1,031 candidates are in the fray, including 101 women and 464 Independent nominees. Counting will be taken up on October 8.
Dainik Bhaskar predicted the Congress getting 44-54 seats and the BJP 15-29 seats. The C-Voter-India Today polls gave Congress 50-58 seats and the BJP 20-28 seats, while the Republic Bharat-Matrize polls put the Congress tally even higher at 55-62 seats as against the BJP's 18-24.
The Red Mike-Datansh exit poll gave the Congress 50-55 seats and the BJP at 20-25, while Dhruv Research pegged the Congress at 50-64 and the BJP at 22-32.
Peoples' Pulse exit poll gave the Congress 49-60 seats and the BJP 20-32 seats. Most exit polls pegged the INLD's tally higher than that of the JJP, while others were seen getting up to 10 seats.
Speaking to reporters after the exit poll predictions, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda claimed his party is going to form government with comfortable majority and reiterated that the decision on chief ministerial face will be taken by the high command on the opinion of the Congress MLAs.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini too asserted the BJP will form the government for a third time with a big mandate.
Speaking to reporters in Kurukshetra after polling was over, he said in the last 10 years, the BJP government worked for every section.
"Haryana was made free from 'kshetravad' (regional bias), 'parivarvaad', and discrimination against the state," he said while replying to a question on exit polls.
Among the top names in the fray besides Saini are BJP's Anil Vij and O P Dhankar, Congress's Hooda and Vinesh Phogat, INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala and JJP's Dushyant Chautala.
EC data available at 7 pm showed Ambala recorded a turnout of 63.35, Bhiwani 63.06, Fatehabad 67.05, Hisar 64.79, Jhajjar 60.52, Jind 66.02, Kaithal 62.53, Karnal 60.42, Kurukshetra 65.55, Mahendragarh 65.76, Nuh 68.28, Palwal 67.69, Rewari 60.91, Rohtak 61.59, Sirsa 65.37 and Yamunanagar 67.93.
However, districts like Gurgaon reported lesser poll percentage.
According to 7 pm data, Gurgaon recorded 49.97, Faridabad 51.90, Charkhi Dadri 58.10, Sonipat 56.09 and Panchkula 54.71 per cent.
Haryana Jan Sevak Party nominee from Meham constituency Balraj Kundu accused former MLA Anand Singh Dangi of assaulting him and his assistant at a polling booth.
In Nuh district, there was a clash among supporters of the Congress' sitting MLA from Punhana and Independent candidate Rahish Khan in a village in the constituency which left three injured.
On Panipat's Nohra village, police said they had received information of a fight at polling booth resulting in serious injury to one person, who had to be hospitalised.
There were reports of a minor scuffle between supporters of rival candidates in Hisar district's Narnaund.
Saini, who is contesting from Ladwa in Kurukshetra, cast his vote in his native village Mirza in Ambala district's Naraingarh.
Among the first voters to cast vote was Union minister and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who voted in Karnal.
Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker (22) exercised her franchise for the first time. She was accompanied by her parents when they went to cast their votes in Jhajjar district's Goria village. Bhaker also appealed to the people, especially the younger ones, to come out and cast their votes.
Congress stalwarts Hooda, Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala, who also exercised their right to vote, said their party would form the next government.
Hooda is seeking re-election from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi in Rohtak district.
BJP Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal went to cast his vote on horseback. "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."
A software engineer based in the US, Rashika Gupta said she has returned home to exercise her franchise.
"I came here to vote for the development of Kaithal," she told PTI.
Sunil Kumar, a groom from Kurukshetra district, went to cast his vote before tying the knot. "I want to give the message to all that voting is very important. Nobody should waste their vote."
Congress candidate and Olympic wrestler Phogat urged people to recognise their power and exercise their franchise as "today is the day of change".
She is contesting from the Julana assembly constituency in Jind district.
Wrestler and Congress leader Bajrang Punia said there is a Congress wave in Haryana and claimed the party would win between 60 and 70 seats.
Among other early voters were Saini, Khattar, BJP's Kuldeep Bishnoi and his family and JJP's Dushyant Chautala and his family.
AAP Haryana unit senior vice-president Anurag Dhanda cast his vote in Kalayat, the constituency he is contesting from.
In Hisar, senior Congress leader Selja said people of Haryana have been waiting for the assembly election to change the current dispensation in the state and bring her party to power.
Abhay Chautala, who cast his vote in Sirsa district, said his party's alliance will form the government. "Neither the Congress nor the BJP will win a majority. INLD-BSP will come to power," he claimed.
Dushyant Chautala, whose party is contesting the polls in alliance with the Azad Samaj Party, said he wanted to appeal to the people of Haryana to ensure that their votes decide the future of the state.
There are more than 2.03 crore eligible voters in the state and 20,632 polling booths were set up.
A total of 144 polling stations were designated as model ones.
Besides, 115 polling stations were entirely managed by women staff, 114 by young government employees and 87 by differently-abled employees.