Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: Over 2 crore voters to decide BJP's fate amid tough Congress challenge
Haryana Assembly elections 2024: Today, over two crore voters in Haryana will head to the polls to determine whether the BJP will retain power for a third consecutive term or if the Congress will make a comeback after a decade-long gap.
Polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm, with the vote count set for October 8. The electoral contest sees 1,031 candidates vying for seats, of which 930 are men and 101 women. Haryana has established 20,629 polling booths for smooth voting.
The election campaign ended on Thursday with both BJP and Congress leaders expressing confidence in securing victory. The Haryana Assembly has 90 seats, and while the main battle is between BJP and Congress, smaller players like AAP, the INLD-BSP alliance, and JJP-ASP (Kanshi Ram) are expected to play a significant role in determining the outcome in around 20 seats. Their influence could be crucial in shaping the state’s political landscape.
In the 2019 Haryana elections, the BJP won 40 seats—six short of a majority—but managed to form the government with the support of JJP and other independents. However, the BJP and JJP have since parted ways before the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, adding a layer of uncertainty to the outcome of this year's Assembly elections.
On Friday, political candidates scrambled to tie up loose ends before voting day. Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda met Congress workers in Rohtak, while BJP’s ex-Home Minister Anil Vij was seen with party officials in Ambala.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and his wife visited the Mansa Devi Temple in Panchkula, where they performed a ‘havan yagya,’ seeking divine blessings ahead of the crucial election.
Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharply criticised the BJP's governance in Haryana, particularly its handling of the economy, and stated that the people would “strike the next blow” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged "crony capitalist policies."
Dalit leader Ashok Tanwar, who recently returned to the Congress fold, called on Dalits and other backward communities in the state to deliver a "big mandate" for the party in the upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed confidence that the BJP would return to power in Haryana. “I have visited both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana during the Assembly elections, and I am fully confident that the BJP will form the government in both states. The atmosphere in Haryana is highly favourable," he said.
- With inputs from agencies
