The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revised the polling date for the Haryana Assembly elections, moving it from October 1 to October 5, 2024. Consequently, the counting of votes for both the Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana Assembly elections has been rescheduled from October 4 to October 8.

The change was made to respect the cultural traditions and voting rights of the Bishnoi community, which observes the Asoj Amavasya festival in remembrance of their spiritual leader, Guru Jambheshwar. The festival, celebrated on October 2, will see many Bishnoi families from Sirsa, Fatehabad, and Hisar traveling to Rajasthan, potentially preventing them from voting.

The Election Commission noted that it had received requests from national and state political parties, as well as from the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, urging the poll date revision to ensure full voter participation. "It may deny voting rights to a large number of people and may lead to reduced voter turnout in the Haryana Assembly election," the EC stated in its official release.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had also appealed to the Election Commission to shift the polling date, arguing that holidays surrounding the original October 1 date could impact voter turnout. Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli expressed concerns that many people might go on vacation during that period, leading to lower participation.

Previously, on August 16, the poll panel had announced that Haryana's Assembly elections would take place in a single phase on October 1, with the results expected on October 4.

Meanwhile, there are no changes to the polling schedule for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The three-phased voting will proceed as planned, with voters casting their ballots on September 18, September 25, and October 1.