Haryana: EC reschedules polls from Oct 1 to Oct 5

The Election Commission on Saturday deferred the Haryana Assembly poll date to October 5 from October 1, saying the decision was taken keeping in mind a centuries-old festival of the Bishnoi community.

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The counting of votes for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana Assembly polls will now be held on October 8 instead of October 4, the poll body said.

It has been a practice of the EC to hold the counting of votes on the same day for assemblies which go to polls together as the results of one state could affect trends in others.

Before the revision of the date, the Haryana polls were to be held along with the third and last phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections.

The decision to postpone the Haryana elections has been taken to honour both the voting rights and traditions of the Bishnoi community which has upheld a 300-400-year-old practice in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar, the EC said.