The Election Commission of India (ECI) reportedly held a crucial meeting to consider rescheduling the upcoming polling day in Haryana after the BJP expressed concerns about the scheduled date of October 1. The BJP fears the timing coincides with an extended weekend that could negatively impact voter turnout, especially in the urban areas.
While the ECI is yet to announce a new date, sources indicate that a decision is imminent. A senior ECI official noted that the commission is working to select a date that would allow the results to be declared on October 4, as scheduled, alongside the Jammu and Kashmir election poll results.
Given the upcoming holiday list, the ECI faces two options: conducting the election on or before September 26, or postponing it until after October 7. The second option would require altering the counting schedule for Jammu and Kashmir as well. The senior official emphasized that any changes will be announced within a day or two to avoid further delays.
BJP Haryana president Mohan Lal Badoli has highlighted in a letter to the ECI that the October 1 date falls within a potential six-day break, which could discourage voter participation. He said September 28-29 are weekends, followed by holidays on October 2-3 (for Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti and Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti). A person taking leave on September 30 could effectively have a six-day holidiay, including polling day.
The BJP’s request has sparked mixed reactions among political rivals. While the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has supported the BJP’s demand, the Congress, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have criticized the move, accusing the BJP of attempting to manipulate the election schedule for its benefit.
Political observers speculate that the BJP’s opposition to the October 1 date stems from concerns that the extended holidays could lead to voter absenteeism, particularly among urban voters who may opt for vacations.
According to the 2011 census, Haryana’s urbanisation level was 28.9%, a figure that has likely risen with the expansion of the National Capital Region (NCR), with a large share of the state’s population moved to the major urban centers like Gurugram and Faridabad.
In the 2024 general elections, rural voter turnout in Haryana was 67.9%, compared to 57.9% in urban areas. Notably, while rural turnout dropped by around 3 percentage points from 2019, urban turnout saw a sharper decline of approximately 7 percentage points. After the Lok Sabha polls lower urban turnout had affected the Saffron party adversely in several states including Haryana, where it lost five out of ten Lok Sabha seats compared to its 2019 tally. As the ECI deliberates, political parties and aspirants are eagerly awaiting the final decision. Hoewer, this uncertainty has also stalled the candidate announcements, with the Congress Screening Committee postponing its scheduled meeting on Monday.