Voter turnout in 11 Haryana segments crosses 75% mark

Voters of 48 assembly segments of Haryana polled at least 70% or more votes in their respective constituencies on Saturday even as the overall voters’ turnout in the state was 67.9%, according to the revised polling data released by the Election Commission on Sunday.

The final polling percentage is lower than 2019, when 68.31% voters had delivered a fractured mandate with no party securing a simple majority in the 90-member House of Haryana Vidhan Sabha.

While the lowest 56.49% voting was recorded in Faridabad district, the assembly constituency with the lowest voting was Badkhal where 48.27% voters exercised their franchise.

There were a total 1,031 candidates in the fray, including 101 women and 464 independents, for the single-phase polls held on October 5 for which a total 2,03,54,350 voters were eligible to exercise their franchise.

“Haryana has recorded 67.9% turnout, and this is the final polling percentage with very little chance of any further change,” Haryana chief electoral officer (CEO) Pankaj Agarwal told Hindustan Times.

“We have completed the exercise pertaining to verifying the poll statistics. We have not ordered re-polling anywhere. We are now fully geared up for the counting of votes on October 8.”

The CEO expressed gratitude to all those engaged in election duty for conducting the voting process “peacefully and successfully” and thanked all the electors who “participated in this great festival of democracy in large numbers.”

As per the EC data, the electors of 10 districts registered over 70% turnout with Sirsa district recording the highest 75.36% followed by Fatehabad 74.77%.

Seats with direct or multi-cornered fights see high polling

The 53% assembly constituencies where the polling percentage was recorded 70% or more clearly points towards a fiercely fought battle. In 11 segments where polling percentage went past 75%, either a direct or a multi-cornered contest was on the cards.

For instance, in Sirsa district’s Ellenabad segment, bordering Rajasthan, where Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala is seeking re-election for the fifth consecutive term, the highest 80.61% polling has been recorded.

Similarly, in Loharu segment of Bhiwani district, 79.66% polling was recorded. In Loharu, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Jai Parkash Dalal, who remained agriculture and later finance minister, is facing a stiff challenge from Congress nominee Rajbir Fartia. Former speaker and cabinet minister Kanwar Pal of the BJP who is locked in a three-cornered fight in Jagadhri with Akram Khan of Congress and Adarsh Pal Singh of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 78.34% polling was recorded.

Yet another seat with a multi-cornered fight was Dabwali where polling percentage was recorded at 77.92%. Here, two contestants of Chautala clan namely Aditya Devilal of INLD and Digvijay Singh Chautala of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) are pitted against Baldev Singh Mangiana of BJP and Amit Sihag of Congress who is seeking re-election. In Hathin, 77.87% votes were cast where Congress nominee Mohd Israil is pitted against INLD’s Tayub Husain and Manoj Kumar of BJP. As a down to the wires electoral battle was witnessed in Tohana, as many as 77.39% voters came out to cast their votes on Saturday. Former minister Devender Singh Babli is locked in a direct fight with Congress candidate Paramvir Singh in Tohana of Fatehabad district.

The Ladwa segment recorded 74.96% polling where caretaker chief minister Nayab Singh Saini is contesting.

As per the EC data, among other seats with high poll percentage are Sadhaura (78.65%), Narnaund (76.30%), Rania (75.91%), Adampur (75.47%), Fatehabad (74.92%), Julana (74.66), Kalayat (74.34%), Nuh (74.42%), Safidon (74.56%), Ferozepur Jhirka (73.13%), Meham (74.12%), Naraingarh (73.33%), Ganaur (72.18%), Mulana (71.04%), Hodal (72.02%), Nalwa (71.19%),Gharaunda (71.91%), Indri (71.25%), Nangal Chaudhry (70.42%), and, Israna (70.20%).

Both BJP and Congress have fielded 89 candidates each. The Congress has left the Bhiwani assembly seat for its INDIA bloc partner CPI(M), and the BJP is not contesting the Sirsa seat, from where Haryana Lokhit Party chief Gopal Kanda is seeking re-election. The INLD-BSP alliance is testing the political waters in 89 seats and also supporting Kanda in Sirsa. The INLD has fielded candidates in 51 segments and is hoping to revive its once-strong rural base.

Political analysts say the AAP may play a major spoiler, while the JJP is fighting to stay relevant amid internal strife. In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP’s vote share was 36.49% even as the party could not cross the halfway mark after winning 40 seats in the 90-member assembly and formed the government after stitching a post-poll alliance with the JJP. The Congress had won 31 seats and its vote share was 28.08%, while JJP’s vote share with 10 seats was 14.80%.