The BJP is ready to contest polls tomorrow, asserted senior leader Anil Vij after his party faced opposition criticism for seeking to defer the September 1 polls. The party, in its defense, cited long holidays before and after the election date that it said could adversely affect the voter turnout.

Anil Vij, a former Haryana Home Minister, said that the BJP recently held a marathon meeting that lasted two days and sent the names of three to four probable nominees for every seat in the 90-member state Assembly to the Central Election Committee, underscoring that the party is ready.

Haryana polls would be held in a single phase on October 1. The votes will be counted on October 4.

“The declared dates make it possible for people to take extended holidays, which reduces voter turnout. Congress has reacted today, but we are not just asking for an extension. We suggest moving the dates back by a few days to prevent a long holiday period. We are ready for elections. Our party is ready. Have it tomorrow,” said Mr Vij.

Ambala: Haryana’s former Home Minister Anil Vij says, “The declared dates make it possible for people to take extended holidays, which reduces voter turnout. Congress has reacted today, but we are not just asking for an extension. We suggest moving the dates back by a few days to… pic.twitter.com/PLckYZNO42

— IANS (@ians_india) August 25, 2024

The BJP, which has been in power in state for a decade, is not alone in making this request. Abhay Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has also sought the deferment of polls.

If the Election Commission agrees, it won’t be the first time. There is Punjab precedent.

In 2022, the poll body changed the date of polling for the Punjab assembly elections from February 14 to 20, after various political parties requested the six-day postponement, citing the birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas.

In his letter to the poll body, then Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi wrote that at least 20 lakh followers of Guru Ravidas from Punjab would congregate at Varanasi from 10 to 16 February to mark his birth anniversary, due to which they might not be able to vote.

However, the Congress this time sees it differently. Senior party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the BJP had “accepted defeat” by requesting to postpone the Assembly election date, asserting that the people were ready to throw out the incumbent government.

“Polls should be held according to the date fixed by the EC… People of Haryana don’t want to see the BJP government in power even for a day,” said Bhupinder Hooda, a former Chief Minister.

Bhupinder Hooda’s son and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda said the request shows “how scared the BJP is of the elections”.

The Aam Admi Party, which is contesting on its own in all seats, said if the BJP had done work in the state, it would not have been seeking postponement of polls.

The BJP points out that it is up for a contest and its worry is that holidays before and after the poll date may hit the voting percentage.

“We have reasoned that the Assembly election date of October 1 (Tuesday) is preceded by a weekend and followed by more holidays which might hit the voting percentage as people tend to go on vacation on long weekends,” said Varinder Garg, a member of the BJP’s state election management committee.

Mr Garg said September 28-29 are Saturday and Sunday while October 1 is a poll holiday.

It is followed by more holidays as Gandhi Jayanti falls on October 2 and Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti on October 3, he said.

A letter in this respect was sent by the party’s Haryana unit chief Mohan Lal Badoli to the poll panel.

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, Mohan Lal Badoli, BJP Haryana chief said in his letter to the poll body, adding that it might affect voting percentage drastically.