EC announces new dates for Haryana assembly polls 2024: Voting on October 5, results on October 8

Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: The Election Commission of India has rescheduled Haryana polling date to October 5 and the counting day for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana to October 8.

The Election Commission has changed the date of assembly elections in Haryana.

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revised the polling date for Haryana assembly elections 2024 from October 1 to October 5. The counting day for the elections in both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana has also been rescheduled from October 4 to October 8.

The ECI said that this decision was made to accommodate the Bishnoi community’s tradition of celebrating the Asoj Amavasya festival, which honours their Guru Jambheshwar. The festival falls on October 2 this year. The Bishnoi community, which includes many families from Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana, travels to their native village Mukam in Rajasthan for this annual festival. This tradition would have coincided with the original polling date, likely preventing thousands of Bishnoi families from voting.

Why ECI changed polling date of Haryana assembly elections 2024?

The ECI received a request from the National President of the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner (Rajasthan), urging the Commission to reschedule the election date. The request mentioned that many Bishnoi families living in areas like Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar would be travelling to Rajasthan on the original polling day, thus missing their opportunity to vote.

The ECI stated, “The decision has been taken to honour both the voting rights and the traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a centuries-old practice of participating in the Asoj Amavasya festival celebration in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar.”

What Election Commission stated

The ECI further explained, “The Commission had received representation from National President, All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner (Rajasthan) for rescheduling the date of polling i.e. October 1 for Haryana Assembly Election as for generations numerous families of 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 would be travelling to Rajasthan on poll day, denying them their voting rights.”

“In the past, the Commission has also adjusted election dates to respect the sentiments of various communities. For instance, during the Punjab Assembly Elections in 2022, the Commission postponed the polls by a week to accommodate devotees travelling to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti. Similarly, in Manipur during the 2022 Assembly elections, the Commission changed the polling dates to respect the Christian community’s Sunday prayers. Likewise, in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly elections, the Commission rescheduled polling originally scheduled on Devuthani Ekadashi, a day significant for mass weddings in Rajasthan. In UP Assembly Elections 2012, poll date was changed due to Barawafat. Coincidentally, the revised polling day would also resolve any concerns of a six-day holiday by taking a one day leave on September 30, 2024,” it added.

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