Haryana BJP, INLD Urge Election Commision To Defer Assembly Polls

Chandigarh: Ruling BJP and an opposition party, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana have urged the election commission to defer the ensuing assembly elections slated for October 1, citing holidays before and after the poll date that could affect the voter turnout.

Stating that the state BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli has written to the election commission requesting a brief postponement of the assembly polls scheduled for October 1, Haryana assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta told FPJ on Saturday the party has reasoned that the assembly polls date has holidays before and after it which might lower voting percentage as people tend to go on vacations on long weekends.

"A low voters' turnout is not good for democracy and therefore the party has requested the EC for any new date after the holidays with a view for a good turnout", Gupta said.

It may be recalled that the poll date – October 1 – is preceded by two gazetted holidays on September 28 and September 29 – for being Saturday and Sunday. While the polling day is also a holiday, it will be followed by holidays on October 2, Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti, and October 3, Maharaja Aggrasen Jayanti.

"As people generally tend to proceed to vacations on long weekends, so it will certainly affect the voting percentage adversely and there is likelihood of 15 to 20% shortfall in the voting percentage. Besides, training of staff for election as well as preparation of the election will be affected adversely,’’ the INLD leader Abhay Chautala said in his letter to EC requesting EC to defer the election by a week or so.

For the record, the EC had on August 16 announced that the assembly polls would be held in Haryana in single-phase polls on October 1 while the votes would be counted on October 4. The tenure of the current Vidhan Sabha ends on November 3.

In power since 2014, the BJP is eyeing to retain power for the third consecutive term. Congress is the principal opposition party.