Haryana is set to vote on October 1 to elect a new state government, the Election Commission announced today. The results will be declared on October 4.
A total of 20,629 polling stations – including 7,132 urban and 13,497 rural – will be set up for over 2 crore voters, said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. Booths will be set up in multistoried buildings as well in urban areas in Gurugram, Sonepat and Faridabad.
There are 90 seats in the Haryana assembly, including 73 General and 17 Scheduled Castes (SC) seats. As many as 10,321 centenarians voters will also be part of the democractic process. “We are ready to hold inclusive and accessible elections,” declared Mr Kumar.
The term of the current assembly ends on November 3. Election officials had recently visited Haryana to oversee the poll preparedness.
The election is likely to see all major parties going solo with no pre-poll alliances announced yet.
The BJP will contest all 90 seats alone under the leadership of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Home Minister Amit Shah had announced in June.
Haryana Congress head Bhupinder Hooda had said there was no alliance between his party and the AAP – two major Opposition forces that fought the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana together.
In 2019, the BJP had won 40 seats and formed the government with the JJP. The party led by Dushyant Chautala had won 10 seats. The Congress ended up in the opposition with 31 seats.
Hours ahead of the likely announcement, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini released the first instalment of a bonus for over 5.20 lakh farmers in the state. The Rs 2,000 per acre bonus for Kharif crops was released in view of a rain deficit this year.
He also announced veterinary polyclinics in eight districts and Rs 3 lakh insurance cover for dairy farmers earning less than Rs 3 lakh annually.
An announcement of election marks the beginning of Model Code of Conduct (MCC), during which government can’t announce any major policy or scheme. This period lasts till the counting of votes.
The Election Commission is likely to announce the schedule for the assembly elections Jammu and Kashmir too – ahead of a September 30 deadline set by the Supreme Court.
Elections are also due in Maharashtra this yearend.