Keeping in mind a centuries-old festival of the Bishnoi community, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday deferred the polling date for Haryana Assembly elections to October 5. Earlier, voting was scheduled to be held on October 1. There has been no change in the polling date for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections slated for October 1. The election results for both Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana will be now declared on October 8 instead of October 4.

The change in the schedule was prompted by the ECI's decision to honour the centuries-old tradition of the Bishnois. The Bishnois, a prominent community in the region, observes the Asoj Amavasya festival, which holds religious importance as it commemorates Guru Jambheshwar. The ECI recognised the need to ensure that the community could fully participate in this important cultural and religious event without forgoing their voting rights. The poll body cited representations from national and State political parties, as well as the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha in this regard.

BJP leaders hailed the poll body’s decision while the Opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have  slammed the move.

BJP MP Biplab Kumar Deb who is also the in-charge of Haryana BJP said, “...It is the duty of the Election Commission. At that time the main festival of the Bishnoi community takes place, so the Election Commission wants maximum voting in the elections and we welcome it... We have worked honestly in the State and the people will decide who will win...”

In a notification, the EC said, “Subsequently, representations have been received from national political parties, State political party and All India Bishnoi Mahasabha regarding mass movement of people of Bishnoi community of Haryana to Rajasthan to participate in centuries old Asoj Amavasya festival celebration.”

“It may deny voting rights to large number of people and may lead to reduce voters' participation in general election to legislative Assembly of Haryana,” the EC notification read. This year, the festival falls on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar will be travelling to Rajasthan on the day, denying them their voting rights.

The Haryana unit of the BJP had earlier written to the EC requesting to postpone the polling for Assembly elections. In a letter dated August 22, BJP Haryana chief Mohanlal Badoli outlined concerns that the polling date would coincide with an extended holiday period, including the weekend of September 28-29 and Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. Badoli argued that this extended break could lead to a decrease in voter turnout as many residents might be away or on vacation.

The BJP also pointed out that the Bishnoi community, which forms a significant voter base in Haryana, would likely be absent on October 1 due to their annual pilgrimage to Mukam village in Rajasthan.

He had urged the Election Commission to consider rescheduling the polls to a later date to ensure maximum voter turnout, citing past instances where election dates had been changed for similar reasons.

The EC had also received a representation from the national president of All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner, Rajasthan for rescheduling the date for the Haryana Assembly elections. He said generations of families from Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana visit their native village Mukam in Rajasthan on “amavas” in the month of ‘Asoj’ for the annual festival in Bikaner in the memory of Guru Jambheshwar.

Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda had hit out at the BJP, saying that the party’s stand showed it already accepted defeat.

The BJP is eyeing a third consecutive term while the Congress is looking to wrest power from the ruling outfit.