By 1 pm, voter turnout in Haryana reached 36.69%. Earlier in the day, it stood at 22.7% by 11 am and 9% at 9 am. Districts like Panchkula (25.8%), Gurgaon (27.7%), and Sonipat (33%) recorded the lowest participation. As of 11 am, Palwal had the highest voter turnout at 27.94%, followed by Jind with 27.20% and Mewat at 25.65%. Voting across all 90 assembly constituencies in Haryana began at 7 am on Saturday, October 5, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 8.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Olympian Manu Bhaker were among the early voters. Khattar expressed confidence that the BJP would secure 50 out of 90 seats. Meanwhile, Congress leader Deepender Hooda took a jab at the BJP, recalling that in the last election, the party aimed for 75 seats but won 40, suggesting this time their prediction of 50 might similarly fall short.
The major parties contesting the elections include the BJP, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), along with the pre-poll alliances between Indian National Lok Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party (INLD-BSP) and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)-Azad Samaj Party (ASP).
In total, 1,031 candidates are vying for seats in the 90 assembly constituencies, with 20,632 polling booths set up across the state. Over 2 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the 15th Haryana Legislative Assembly elections, and security measures have been heightened to ensure smooth voting.
Haryana Assembly Elections 2009:
The 2009 Haryana Assembly elections saw intense competition among several key political parties, with the Indian National Congress (INC) emerging as the dominant force. The INC fielded 90 candidates, securing 40 seats with 35.08% of the vote share. Close behind was the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which contested 88 seats and won 31, garnering 25.79% of the votes. The Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) (HJC), contesting 87 seats, won 6 seats with 7.40% of the vote share. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) struggled, contesting 90 seats but managing to secure only 4, with a 9.04% vote share. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested 86 seats and won just 1 seat, receiving 6.73% of the votes. The overall voter turnout for this election was 72.37%.
Haryana Assembly Elections 2014:
In the 2014 Haryana Assembly elections, the voter turnout was recorded at a significant 76.54%. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the leading party, securing 47 seats in the 90-member assembly. The Congress managed to win 15 seats, while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) ended up with 19 seats, which was eight fewer than what had been predicted for the party. These elections marked a major shift in Haryana’s political landscape, as the BJP formed the government for the first time in the state.
Haryana Assembly Elections 2019:
The 2019 Haryana Assembly elections saw a voter turnout of 68.20%. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the largest party, winning 40 seats out of 90, falling short of an outright majority. The Indian National Congress (INC) made a strong comeback, securing 31 seats. The newly formed Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) managed to win 10 seats in its debut assembly election. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), once a dominant force in the state, won only 1 seat, while other smaller parties and independent candidates captured 8 seats. The results reflected a fragmented mandate, leading to post-election alliances.
Lok Sabha Elections 2019:
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the political landscape in Haryana was shaped by the same major players: INC, BJP, HJC, and INLD. Voter turnout was recorded at 71.41%. The Bharatiya Janata Party gained significant ground in this election compared to its performance in previous assembly elections.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024:
As of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Haryana witnessed a dip in voter turnout, with only 60.4% of eligible voters casting their ballots. The political dynamics in the state remained heavily influenced by the major parties, with voters making their choices in a closely contested election.
