Haryana poll twist

THE Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to change the polling date for the Haryana Assembly elections from October 1 to October 5 has been predictably welcomed by the ruling BJP and slammed by the main Opposition party, the Congress. Apparently fearing a lower voter turnout due to holidays before and after the original voting day, the BJP and the Indian National Lok Dal — an Opposition party whose very survival is at stake — had sought postponement; the Bishnoi community joined the chorus, citing the annual festival in Rajasthan in memory of its founder, Guru Jambheshwar. It’s no surprise that the Congress and the BJP are at odds on the issue, but that was not the case when they demanded the deferment of the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections in view of Guru Ravidas Jayanti. The ECI had done the needful, but both parties were blown away by the AAP storm.

The BJP, which has ruled Haryana for the past decade, is desperately looking to blunt the impact of anti-incumbency. Seeking the postponement of the polls can be seen as a ploy to buy time and possibly upset the calculations of its rivals, particularly a resurgent Congress. The grand old party won five Lok Sabha seats in the state in the recent polls after having drawn a blank in 2019, when the rampaging BJP swept all 10 seats. The saffron party’s decision to replace Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini as the CM earlier this year was seemingly a last-ditch attempt to stem the tide of falling popularity.

Four extra days of campaigning could prove crucial, especially if the poll battle goes down to the wire. A potentially higher turnout, no matter which party gains from it, is undoubtedly good for democracy. The ECI, however, owes the voter an explanation for not having done adequate groundwork before finalising the poll date in the first place.