As BJP Seeks Deferment Of Haryana Assembly Polls, Opposition Says Saffron Party Sensing Defeat

Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: In his letter, Badoli said that by taking a day's leave on September 30, people will have six holidays.

A week after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Haryana assembly elections, the BJP has written to the poll body seeking postponement of the polls slated for October 1 citing holidays. However, the opposition claimed that the saffron party has sensed impending defeat and is just trying to buy more time by making excuses. The letter to the EC was sent by the party's state unit chief, Mohan Lal Badoli. 

In his letter, Badoli said that by taking a day's leave on September 30, people will have six holidays. Due to this long weekend, there is a strong possibility that several families might go on a vacation and give voting a miss, Badoli said in his letter to the EC. Badoli also noted that on October 2, 'Asoj Amavasya,' many members of the Bishnoi community from Haryana will travel to Nokha tehsil in Bikaner, Rajasthan, to attend an annual fair held in celebration of the occasion.

Varinder Garg, a member of the BJP's state election management committee, explained, "We have raised concerns that the Assembly election date of October 1 (Tuesday) is preceded by a weekend and followed by additional holidays, which could impact voter turnout as people often go on vacation during long weekends." Garg noted that September 28-29 are Saturday and Sunday, and October 1 is a polling holiday. This is followed by Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 and Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti on October 3.

While opposition parties Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticized the BJP, accusing it of panicking in anticipation of defeat, Abhay Chautala's INLD also called for a postponement of the elections.

Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda asserted that the BJP's request for a delay indicates it has already conceded defeat. "It has been more than a week since the Election Commission announced the poll date. The BJP's demand for a postponement reflects its acceptance of defeat," said Hooda, who is the Leader of the Opposition and a former Chief Minister of Haryana. He emphasized, "Elections should proceed as scheduled by the EC. The people of Haryana do not want the BJP government to remain in power for even a day longer."

"Haryana BJP has written a letter to the Election Commission to postpone the elections, which shows how scared BJP is of the elections. Seeing its defeat in front, the ruling party is giving childish arguments. Because it has no issue, no work or achievement to tell the public and no 90 candidates to give tickets to. That is why the BJP is conspiring to postpone the elections by making an excuse for holidays. Voters of Haryana are very aware. They will not go anywhere for a holiday, but will come to the polling booth in large numbers to vote for the BJP," said Deepender Hooda on X.

The AAP's Haryana unit said even before the elections took place, the ruling BJP had started looking for excuses as it could sense its impending defeat in the election. In a post on X, the AAP said if the BJP had done work in the state, it would not have been seeking postponement of polls. This time the BJP's defeat is certain, it said.