Haryana poll dates postponed to Oct 5,Counting 3 days later

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a change in the polling date for the Haryana Assembly elections, shifting it from October 1 to October 5, 2024. Subsequently, the counting day for both the Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana Assembly elections has been moved from October 4 to October 8.The decision to revise the dates was made to honour both the voting rights and the cultural traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a centuries-old practice of participating in the Asoj Amavasya festival celebration in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar, the poll panal said.This year, the festival falls on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families living in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar would be travelling to Rajasthan on voting day, denying them their voting rights, the EC said."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" the EC said in an official statement.
Earlier, the poll panel had on August 16 announced that Assembly polls in Haryana would be held in a single phase on October 1 and the results would be declared on October 4.Meanwhile, there will be no change in the polling dates of the three-phased Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir. As per the announcement, the voters in Jammu and Kashmir will cast their votes on September 18, September 25, and October 1.