New Delhi: The Election Commission rescheduled the polling date in Haryana to Oct 5 to secure the voting rights of the state’s sizable Bishnoi community, and accordingly revised the counting date for both Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir to Oct 8.
As per the original schedule announced on Aug 16, polling in Haryana was to be held on Oct 1 along with the last round of voting in J&K, followed by counting for both the states on Oct 4. J&K will still wind up polling as scheduled on Oct 1, but shall have to wait till Oct 8 for the results.
The decision to change the Haryana poll date - which followed the receipt of representations a week ago from parties like BJP and INLD, as well as All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner - “was taken to honour the age-old tradition of the Bishnoi community of visiting their native village Mukam (Rajasthan) during ‘amavas’ in the month of ‘Asoj’ for their annual festival in Bikaner district.,
EC had sought a report from the Haryana chief electoral officer (CEO) soon after the change in poll date was sought. The CEO’s report was received on Aug 31 in which he cited his consultation with the deputy commissioners of Hisar, Sirsa, and Fatehabad. In the past too, EC has adjusted election dates to respect the sentiments of various communities.
During the Punjab assembly elections in 2022, it postponed the polls by a week to accommodate devotees travelling to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti. “EC has consistently upheld the belief that ‘every vote matters’ and strives to create an ecosystem that encourages the active participation of all,” an EC functionary said.
