Haryana polls: Over 61% voter turnout recorded
Chandigarh: The politically crucial northern state of Haryana voted on Saturday, sealing the fate of a total of 1,031 candidates in all 90 Assembly constituencies. As many as 20,632 polling booths were set up for voting. Over 61 per cent polling was recorded in which the ruling BJP is eyeing a third term and the Congress seeking a comeback. The results for the Haryana Assembly elections will be declared along with Jammu and Kashmir on October 8. Key candidates include chief minister Nayab Saini, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Vinesh Phogat and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala. Figures available at 7 pm showed the turnout was 61.50 per cent. However, it will further increase once all information comes in, said officials. The BJP, eyeing a third consecutive term, faces a significant challenge from the Congress, which hopes to reclaim power after a decade. Parties such as Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which had an alliance with the BJP from 2019 until early 2024, and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have positioned themselves to potentially play the role of kingmakers. The contestants include 101 women and 464 independents. Notable figures include Chief Minister Saini (Ladwa), Leader of Opposition Hooda (Garhi Sampla-Kiloi), Indian National Lok Dal’s Abhay Singh Chautala (Ellenabad), JJP’s Dushyant Chautala (Uchana Kalan), and Congress’s Vinesh Phogat (Julana). Former BJP MP Shruti Choudhry and her cousin Anirudh Chaudhary are contesting from Tosham. Former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal’s grandson Bhavya Bishnoi will represent the BJP from the Adampur seat. Among the independent candidates include Savitri Jindal (Hisar), Ranjit Chautala (Rania) and Chitra Sarwara (Ambala Cantt). The BJP, which has ruled the state for the past decade, is aiming to score a third successive victory. However, the saffron party faces the challenge of overcoming 10 years of anti-incumbency.
In 2014, the BJP, riding high on the Modi wave, secured 47 seats, forming its first-ever government in Haryana with Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini remains optimistic, highlighting the development work his government has undertaken over the past decade, asserting that Haryana has become a “developed state” under the BJP’s leadership. Congress is hopeful of capitalising on its strong showing in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The party’s manifesto offers seven guarantees, including a legal assurance for MSPs, a caste survey, and a Rs 2,000 monthly allowance for women. Rahul Gandhi has led the Congress campaign, criticising the BJP on key issues such as the Agniveer scheme, farmers protest and the wrestlers’ agitation. The electoral process will see over 2 crore voters, including 8,821 centenarians, casting their votes across 20,632 polling booths. Out of the total voters, 1,07,75,957 are men, 95,77,926 are women, and 467 are transgenders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to people in Haryana to exercise their voting rights to “set a new record”. He tweeted, “Today is voting for the Haryana Assembly elections. I appeal to all voters to be a part of this holy festival of democracy and set a new record of voting. On this occasion, my special best wishes to all the young friends of the state who are going to vote for the first time”. In the last Assembly polls in 2019, the BJP had won 40 seats, the Congress 31 and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) 10. The voter turnout recorded in the 2019 Assembly polls was around 68 per cent. The BJP formed the government in 2019 with the support of the JJP while most of the Independent MLAs had also extended support to the saffron party. However, the JJP’s post-poll tie-up with the BJP ended after the latter replaced Manohar Lal Khattar with Saini as the chief minister in March. Shiv Bhattia, a former adviser to Hooda and a Congress leader said, “Everyone knows who is running the show. The BJP shunted him (Khattar) out due to massive anti-incumbency against his government. Such was the anger against the BJP that in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won with the highest victory margins percentage wise in Haryana compared to all the states”.
