Haryana votes to be counted today; BJP confident, Cong hopeful

Public Lokpal
October 08, 2024

Chandigarh: Political parties and leaders wait with bated breath for the Haryana Assembly poll results on Tuesday, with the ruling BJP confident of retaining power for a third term, and the Congress, which is out of power for 10 years, more than hopeful of making a comeback.

The elections in Haryana are the first major direct contest between the BJP and the Congress following the Lok Sabha polls, and the result here would be used by the winner to build a narrative in their favour in other states where polls due over the next few months.

The key parties in the fray are the BJP, the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, INLD-BSP and JJP-Azad Samaj Party. However, most seats are likely to see a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress.

Two counting centres each have been set up for the Badshahpur, Gurugram, and Pataudi assembly seats, while one counting centre each has been established for the remaining 87 constituencies To monitor the counting process, 90 counting observers also have been appointed by Election Commission of India, the release said.

Postal ballots will be counted first, followed by the counting of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after 30 minutes. Accurate information on each round of counting will be uploaded in a timely manner, the CEO said.

A total of 1,031 candidates, including 464 Independents and 101 women, are in the fray on Haryana's 90 constituencies which voted in single phase on October 5.

Several exit polls have predicted a Congress victory in Haryana which recorded a voter turnout of 67.90 per cent.

Rejecting the exit poll results, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has claimed his party BJP will form the government for a third time with full majority on October 8. He said when results are announced on October 8, the Congress will blame EVMs.

On the other hand, Congress leader and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a frontrunner for the chief minister's post if his party wins, exuded confidence of a comfortable majority.

The INLD-BSP alliance has also claimed that it will form the next government once results are declared, while JJP leader Dushyant Chautala said he his hopeful that his alliance will get good numbers.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, whose party contested Haryana polls on its own, has been claiming that no government in Haryana can be formed without his party's support.

Jammu and Kashmir also voted alongside Haryana, but most seats there have witnessed multi-corner contests rather than a direct Congress-BJP fight.

Elections are due in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi in a few months.

A meeting was held on Monday to review the counting preparedness with deputy commissioners and district election officers.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has been saying that its return to office will be powered by its record on good governance, transparent administration, equitable development, jobs on merit, welfare initiatives for all sections including farmers, poor and the weak.

PTI