Voting for 90 assembly seats in Haryana commenced on Saturday, following an intense campaign period led by the incumbent Congress and the BJP.
Union Minister and former Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, cast his vote at GGSSS Prem Nagar in Karnal.
Speaking to the media, Khattar urged voters to exercise their democratic right, adding, "The administration has made all necessary arrangements for peaceful elections. The BJP is confident of securing a victory and forming the government for the third consecutive time."
This election is crucial for both the BJP, which is seeking a third term in power, and the Congress, which is hoping to capitalize on anti-incumbency sentiment and issues like the farmer and wrestler protests to reclaim control of the state.
Key players in the race include the BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as well as the pre-poll alliances of the Indian National Lok Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party (INLD-BSP) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)-Azad Samaj Party (ASP).
Polling began at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with 1,031 candidates contesting across all 90 constituencies. The state has set up 20,632 polling booths. Results will be announced on October 8, alongside those for Jammu and Kashmir.
Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer, Pankaj Agarwal, noted that 2,03,54,350 voters are expected to cast their ballots, including 1,07,75,957 men, 95,77,926 women, and 467 third-gender voters. A total of 29,462 police personnel, 21,196 home guards, and 10,403 Special Police Officers (SPOs) have been deployed to ensure security across the state.
Manohar Lal Khattar, who served as Haryana's Chief Minister for over nine years, was succeeded by Nayab Singh Saini in March this year. Saini is leading the BJP’s campaign and contesting from the Ladwa constituency.
Notable figures in this election include wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who joined the Congress along with fellow Olympian Bajrang Punia on September 6. Phogat’s entry into politics followed her disqualification from the women’s 50 kg final at the Paris Olympics.
The JJP-ASP alliance is contesting all 90 seats, with the JJP fielding candidates in 70 constituencies and the ASP in 20.
In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP secured 40 of the 90 seats and formed a coalition government with the JJP, which won 10 seats. The Congress took 31 seats. However, the JJP later exited the coalition.
