Bishnois community welcome EC decision to defer Haryana poll date

Chandigarh: The Bishnoi community has thanked the Election Commission for deferring the Haryana Assembly poll date to October 5 from October 1 in view of the centuries-old festival of the community.

The ruling BJP has also welcomed the EC's decision.

The Election Commission on Saturday deferred the Haryana assembly poll date, saying the decision was taken keeping in mind the Bishnoi community's festival.

Som Prakash Bishnoi, Akhil Bhartiya Bishnoi Mahasabha's vice president, said the entire community thanks the Election Commission for its decision to defer the poll date.

Lakhs of members of the Bishnoi community take part in the festival and it takes 15-20 days to organise it, he said.

"Earlier, we were worried what if people (Bishnoi community) cannot vote as they would be travelling or if they are not able to take part in the event too. Now, with the new poll date, our problem has been solved and we thank the EC for this," he said.

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 on Saturday.

It said it had received a representation from the national president of the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner, Rajasthan for rescheduling the Haryana assembly polls.

Generations of families from Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana visit their native village Mukam in Rajasthan on 'amavas' in the month of 'Asoj' for the annual festival in Bikaner in memory of Guru Jambheshwar, according to the EC.

This year, the festival falls on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar will be travelling to Rajasthan, with many families from these districts expected to start their journey a day before.

Separately, the ruling BJP and the opposition INLD in Haryana had urged the EC to revise the polling date keeping in mind the long weekend which might result in poor voter turnout as people tend to go out on extended weekends.

Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli also said thanked the Election Commission for deferring the poll by a few days.

When asked about the remarks of Congress leaders that the saffron party has accepted defeat by seeking deferment of the polls, Badoli said, "The Congress has always worked to weaken the democracy.They imposed the Emergency...They never had this thinking that more and more people should be able to exercise their franchise".

"When I wrote the letter, I specified the reasons for deferment. Now, we welcome the Election Commission decision," Badoli said.

Haryana BJP leader and former Home Minister Anil Vij also welcomed the EC's decision to defer the poll.

The BJP is eyeing a third consecutive term while the Congress is looking to wrest power from the ruling outfit.

The Haryana unit of the ruling BJP had last month written to the Election Commission seeking a brief postponement of the assembly poll slated for October 1, saying holidays before and after the election date could lead to a lower voter turnout.

State BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli, in his letter, had said that on 'Asoj Amavasya' on October 2, several members of the Bishnoi community of Haryana will leave for Rajasthan to participate in an annual fair held on the occasion. This too can affect the voting percentage, he had said.