Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: Polling Kicks Off Amid High Stakes

Polling for all 90 Assembly seats in Haryana began on Saturday morning, with stringent security measures in place. Over two crore voters are eligible to participate. This election carries significant weight for key figures such as Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Vinesh Phogat, and JJP‘s Dushyant Chautala. In total, 1,027 candidates are in the fray.

A Battle for Power

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aims for a hat-trick of victories, while the Congress seeks to regain power after a decade. Consequently, the outcome will shape the future leadership of Haryana.

Vote counting will take place on October 8. Meanwhile, voters can cast their ballots on October 5th from 7 AM to 6 PM. Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer, Pankaj Agarwal, announced that 2,03,54,350 voters, including 8,821 centenarians, are eligible to participate.

Candidate Landscape

This election features a total of 1,031 candidates, including 101 women and 464 Independents. With 20,632 polling booths set up, voters have ample opportunities to make their voices heard.

In addition to the BJP and Congress, other significant parties include the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the alliances of INLD–BSP and JJP–Azad Samaj Party. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 40 seats, the Congress secured 31, and the JJP claimed 10.

Key Contestants

Prominent candidates include:

• Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini (Ladwa)
• Leader of Opposition B.S. Hooda (Garhi Sampla-Kiloi)
• INLD’s Abhay Singh Chautala (Ellenabad)
• JJP’s Dushyant Chautala (Uchana Kalan)
• “Captain” Abhimanyu (Narnaund)
• O.P. Dhankar (Badli)

Additionally, AAP‘s Anurag Dhanda is running from Kalayat, while Congress‘s Vinesh Phogat, a former wrestler, contests from Julana.

In Tosham, former MP Shruti Choudhry of the BJP and her cousin Anirudh Chaudhary both vie for votes. Meanwhile, in Dabwali, Aditya Devi Lal, grandson of the late Devi Lal, represents the INLD and faces JJP’s Digvijay Singh Chautala, the great-grandson of a former deputy prime minister.

Security Measures

To ensure a smooth electoral process, Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur confirmed the deployment of nearly 30,000 police personnel and 225 paramilitary companies. Additionally, they have included a sufficient number of home guard personnel.

Voter Demographics

Pankaj Agarwal highlighted the electorate’s composition. Of the total voters, 1,07,75,957 are men, 95,77,926 are women, and 467 identify as part of the third gender.

Moreover, 5,24,514 voters fall within the 18 to 19 age range. Additionally, 1,49,142 differently-abled voters include 93,545 males, 55,591 females, and six from the third gender.

Furthermore, 2,31,093 voters are aged over 85 years, comprising 89,940 males and 1,41,153 females.

As polling day unfolds, the political landscape of Haryana remains on edge. This election promises to be of significant importance, attracting close attention from both voters and analysts alike.