The Election Commission of India has announced a change in the schedule for the general elections to the Haryana Legislative Assembly. According to the revised election program released by the Commission, voting will now take place on October 5, 2024, and the counting of votes will be conducted on October 8, 2024. Previously, voting was scheduled for October 1, and the counting was scheduled for October 4.
The Election Commission received a representation from the National President of the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner (Rajasthan), requesting the rescheduling of the voting date for the Haryana Assembly elections. This request was made because many families from Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana have a long-standing tradition of visiting their ancestral village, Mukam, in Bikaner district during the ‘Asoj’ month’s Amavas for an annual festival in memory of Guru Jambheshwar.
This year, the festival will be observed on October 2, and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad, and Hisar will travel to Rajasthan on the day of voting, potentially preventing them from exercising their right to vote. Taking this representation into consideration, the Commission decided to change the voting date for the Haryana Assembly elections, thereby respecting both the voting rights and traditions of the Bishnoi community.
It is noteworthy that the Election Commission of India has previously altered election dates in respect of various communities' sentiments. For instance, during the Punjab Assembly elections in 2022, the Commission postponed the elections by a week to accommodate devotees traveling to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti. Similarly, during the 2022 Assembly elections in Manipur, the Commission changed the voting dates in respect of the Christian community’s Sunday prayers.
Likewise, during the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly elections, the Commission rescheduled the originally planned voting on ‘Devuthani Ekadashi’, a significant day for mass weddings in Rajasthan. In the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the voting date was changed due to Barawafat.
Haryana Chief Electoral Officer, Sh. Pankaj Agarwal, informed that the Election Commission of India received requests from political parties, both national and state-level, regarding the change in date of voting. After considering these representations, the Commission has decided to change the voting date for Haryana from October 1, 2024 (Tuesday) to October 5, 2024 (Saturday).
According to the new election schedule, the Gazette Notification will be issued on September 5, 2024. The last date for filing nominations is September 12, 2024, with scrutiny of nomination papers taking place on September 13, 2024.
Candidates can withdraw their nomination papers by September 16, 2024. Voting for all Assembly seats in the state will be held on October 5, 2024, and counting of votes will be conducted on October 8, 2024.