Haryana polls: Voter turnout gradually increases as elections progress.
A total of 1,031 candidates are competing in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, reflecting a diverse political contest. Among them, 101 women candidates are vying for seats, highlighting the growing participation of women in the state’s political landscape. Additionally, 464 Independent candidates are in the fray, indicating a significant presence of non-party affiliated contenders. The elections are expected to witness intense competition, with various political parties and independent candidates offering a wide range of platforms and agendas to the voters. The inclusion of more women and Independent candidates adds to the dynamic nature of the electoral battle.
Gurugram district’s four Assembly constituencies—Gurgaon, Sohna, Badshahpur, and Pataudi (SC)—witnessed a 3% voter turnout within the first two hours of polling on Saturday. Voting began at 7 a.m. and will continue until 6 p.m. Former minister and candidate for the Badshahpur seat, Rao Narbir Singh, along with his family, cast their votes early at a government school in Fazilpur Jharsa village, encouraging others to exercise their right to vote.
The district has set up a total of 1,507 polling booths across the four constituencies, with Pataudi (SC) having 259 booths, Badshahpur 518, Gurgaon 435, and Sohna 292. To facilitate voting in high-rise societies, 126 polling stations have been specifically set up. According to the voter list, there are 15,04,959 registered voters in Gurugram district, with Pataudi (SC) accounting for 2,53,684 voters, Badshahpur 5,13,052, Gurgaon 4,37,183, and Sohna 2,83,391. Various awareness campaigns have been launched to boost voter turnout in these Assembly elections.
Significant candidates in the race include Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Vinesh Phogat, and JJP’s Dushyant Chautala. In total, 1,031 candidates are competing, including 101 women and 464 Independent candidates, with over two crore eligible voters across Haryana. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is aiming for a third consecutive Assembly election victory in the state, while the Congress hopes to return to power after a decade.
According to Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pankaj Agarwal, 2,03,54,350 voters, including 8,821 centenarians, are eligible to vote in this election. A total of 20,632 polling booths have been set up across the state, ensuring convenience and accessibility for all voters.
In addition to the BJP and Congress, other significant political parties contesting the election include the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and alliances such as INLD-BSP and JJP-Azad Samaj Party. In the last Assembly elections in 2019, the BJP won 40 seats, the Congress secured 31, and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) claimed 10. This year, the Congress has left the Bhiwani seat to its INDIA bloc partner CPI(M), while the BJP is not contesting the Sirsa seat, where Haryana Lokhit Party chief Gopal Kanda is seeking re-election. Most seats are expected to see a direct contest between the BJP and Congress.
Captain Abhimanyu (Narnaund), and O P Dhankar (Badli). AAP’s Anurag Dhanda is contesting from Kalayat, while Congress’s Vinesh Phogat, a former wrestler, is running from Julana. In Tosham, cousins Shruti Choudhry of BJP and Anirudh Chaudhary are competing against each other. In Dabwali, Devi Lal’s grandson Aditya Devi Lal of INLD is taking on JJP’s Digvijay Singh Chautala.
Other notable contestants include BJP’s Bhavya Bishnoi from Adampur in Hisar and Arti Rao from Ateli in Mahendragarh. Several Independent candidates are also running, such as Savitri Jindal (Hisar), Ranjit Chautala (Rania), and Chitra Sarwara (Ambala Cantonment). Congress’s Brijendra Singh is challenging Dushyant Chautala from Uchana.
Haryana Police, under Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur, has made extensive security arrangements for the election. Approximately 30,000 police personnel and 225 paramilitary companies have been deployed across the state. Additional home guard personnel are also on duty to ensure law and order. Over 3,616 polling booths have been categorized as sensitive, while 145 booths are deemed vulnerable, necessitating additional security. To monitor the election process, 516 flying squads, 469 static-surveillance teams, and 32 quick-response teams have been formed. A total of 1,156 patrolling parties are active across the state to ensure a peaceful election.
As per voter demographics, the total number of voters includes 1,07,75,957 men, 95,77,926 women, and 467 belonging to the third gender. There are 5,24,514 voters aged between 18 and 19, and 1,49,142 differently-abled voters. Among these, 93,545 are men, 55,591 are women, and six belong to the third gender. Additionally, 2,31,093 voters are aged above 85 years, including 89,940 men and 1,41,153 women. The number of voters over 100 years is 8,821, comprising 3,283 men and 5,538 women. The state has 1,09,217 service voters.
The 2019 Assembly elections recorded a voter turnout of approximately 68%. For this year’s election, 144 polling stations have been designated as model stations, with 115 stations managed entirely by women, 114 managed by young government employees, and 87 by differently-abled staff. The CEO also stated that 27,866 electronic voting machines (ballot units) will be used in this election.
In 2019, the BJP formed the government with the support of JJP and most Independent MLAs. However, the JJP’s alliance with BJP ended after Manohar Lal Khattar was replaced by Nayab Singh Saini as Chief Minister in March.