Haryana Assembly election sees over 66% voter turnout, Congress projected to get majority after a decade. Polls suggest Congress may win 44-62 seats, while BJP may get 15-32 seats. Counting is scheduled for now
Haryana Assembly election saw over 66 per cent voter turnout on Saturday, with several exit polls predicting a clear majority for the Congress, which is seeking to regain power after a decade.
Here are the top ten key findings:
- According to the Election Commission, the single-phase polling for 90 assembly seats took place from 7 am to 6 pm and concluded mostly peacefully, with only minor clashes reported.
- Poll panel data available at 11:55 pm indicated 66.96 per cent polling, though officials cautioned that the figure could rise as additional information comes in, reports PTI.
- The BJP, Congress, INLD-BSP, JJP-Azad Samaj Party alliance and Aam Aadmi Party are the major election contestants. However, a direct contest between the ruling BJP and Congress was expected on most seats. A total of 1,031 candidates are in the fray, including 101 women and 464 independents. Counting of votes will take place on October 8.
- Dainik Bhaskar had predicted that the Congress will get 44-54 seats, while the BJP was projected to win 15-29 seats. A C-Voter-India Today poll had projected the Congress to win 50-58 seats, while the BJP would get 20-28 seats. Republic Bharat-Matriz surveys suggested an even stronger performance for the Congress, projecting it to get 55-62 seats compared to the BJP's 18-24.
- The Red Mike-Datansh exit poll has projected Congress to get 50-55 seats and BJP 20-25 seats, while Dhruva Research has projected that Congress will win 50-64 seats and BJP 22-32 seats.
- The People's Pulse exit poll has indicated that Congress will get 49-60 seats and BJP 20-32 seats. Most exit polls have suggested that the INLD will perform better than the JJP, while some have projected them to get 10 seats.
- Speaking to reporters after the exit poll predictions, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda exuded confidence of the Congress forming the government with an absolute majority in the state and reiterated that the "party high command will decide on the selection of the CM based on the opinion of the people and MLAs", as reported by PTI.
- Incumbent chief minister Nayab Singh Saini also asserted that the BJP will form the government for the third time with a bigger mandate. Talking to reporters in Kurukshetra after polling ended, he said the BJP government in the last 10 years has worked for every section. Replying to a question on the exit polls, he said, "Haryana was freed from 'regionalism' (regional bias), 'parivarvaad' and discrimination against the state."
- Apart from Saini, the top names in the fray are BJP's Anil Vij and OP Dhankar, Congress' Hooda and Vinesh Phogat, INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala and JJP's Dushyant Chautala
- Among the assembly constituencies, Yamunanagar's Jagadhri seat recorded 78.10 per cent polling, Kaithal 75.04 per cent and Uchana Kalan 75.44 per cent, where JJP's Dushyant Chautala is contesting again. Additionally, Ladwa, where CM Saini is contesting, recorded 70 per cent polling, while Garhi Sampla-Kiloi in Rohtak, where Bhupinder Hooda is contesting again, recorded 67.02 per cent polling.
