Haryana [India], October 5 (ANI): The single-phase polling for 90 Assembly Constituencies in Haryana concluded peacefully on Saturday in more than 20,000 polling stations set up in the state, and recorded a final voter turnout of 61.19 per cent.
According to the Election Commission, “Voting began at 7.00 am and voters from all sections of society were seen queuing up at polling stations. With a significant population of elderly voters, many above the age of 100 years were seen participating in the electoral festivities with enthusiasm. A total of 1031 candidates are in the electoral fray which includes 101 female candidates. As of 7 PM, a voter turnout of 61.19% was recorded at the polling stations. In the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, voter turnout of 64.8% was recorded in Haryana at polling stations.”
CEC Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu kept a close watch on the poll process from Nirvachan Sadan. As directed by the Commission, webcasting was in place in all the Polling Stations for strict and constant vigil over the poll proceedings. 97 Central Observers were deployed by the Commission for on-the-field monitoring and constant feedback, the release said.
ECs’ persistent efforts for inducement-free elections have led to seizures worth Rs 75.72 crores in Haryana, since the announcement of elections, the corresponding figure in 2019 was Rs 19.03 crores, representing a 4 fold increase in seizures. Seizures have been made across all districts and cohorts which include Rs 31.5 crore cash, Rs 16.6 crore worth of liquor and 11.13 crore drugs. Ambala (Rs 11.82 crore), Faridabad (Rs 10.07 crore) and Gurugram (Rs 9.94 crore) remained the top 3 districts in terms of seizures. 12 ACs were identified as expenditure-sensitive for the strict vigil. 391 Static Surveillance Teams (SST) and 453 Flying Squads Teams (FST) were deployed for surveillance. Vigilance was also maintained with 133 checkpoints (Nakkas) on the state borders and 140 checkpoints within the state, the release added.
The release stated, “At first, a home voting facility was introduced in the Haryana Assembly Elections for voters above the age of 85 and PwD voters. The entire process has been videographed to ensure transparency while preserving the complete secrecy of the ballot. 2468 PwD voters and 8907 voters aged above 85 years availed of the home voting facility.”
“For the candidates, the Suvidha app has revolutionised campaigning by digitising the process of seeking permissions for various campaigning requirements such as booking of grounds and meeting halls, permissions for rallies, use of loudspeakers etc. With an emphasis on removing discretion, more than 8300 permissions were given through the SUVIDHA portal on the first in first out principle,” it added.
According to the release, to make the elections more participative and involve citizens in cleaning up the electoral process, the cVIGIL App leverages technology to empower voters by anonymously and safely bringing forth electoral malpractices to the notice of authorities. Since the announcement of elections in Haryana, over 29,000 complaints have been received with a complaint resolution rate of 99 per cent. The highest number of complaints were received in Faridabad, followed by Sirsa and Rohtak.
As part of ECI’s commitment to making the voting experience pleasant and memorable, Assured Minimum Facilities (AMFs) like drinking water, electricity, toilet, ramp, furniture, adequate shelter, and helpdesk amongst others were provided at all polling stations. Wheelchairs and volunteer assistance were provided to those in need. As an encouragement to young voters, 114 polling stations were managed by the youth. As part of promoting gender inclusivity and accessibility, 115 Polling Stations were managed completely by women while 87 were managed by PwDs.
A slew of Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities promoted the democratic festivities ahead of polling day. Local themes and elements were used in various activities such as street plays, local influencers and icons, and Indigenous sports activities, along with plantation drives, painting and debate competitions to channel the enthusiasm witnessed amongst the youth towards voting into greater participation on polling day, the release said.
The key contesting parties in Haryana include the BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as well as the pre-poll alliance between the Indian National Lok Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party (INLD-BSP) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)-Azad Samaj Party (ASP).
The results for the Haryana Assembly elections will be declared along with those of Jammu and Kashmir on October 8.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP won 40 of the 90 seats, forming a coalition government with the JJP, which won 10 seats. The Congress secured 31 seats. However, JJP later broke out of the coalition. (ANI)
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