Haryana Assembly Election 2024: Voting underway to decide fate of key political players

Voting for the high-stakes Haryana Assembly election 2024 is underway today (October 5) with several prominent figures, including Congress leader and Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, in the electoral race. The election marks a critical moment for the state, as major parties vie for control of the 90-member assembly.

Over two crore eligible voters are expected to cast their votes across the state. The Election Commission has set up a total of 20,629 polling booths to accommodate the electorate, ensuring a smooth voting process. The votes will be counted on October 8, aligning with the Jammu and Kashmir poll results.

The political landscape is marked by fierce competition between the BJP, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Indian National Lok Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party (INLD-BSP), and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)-Azad Samaj Party alliance. The campaigning period ended on Thursday, October 3, with all parties making a final push to connect with voters through rallies and roadshows.

A total of 1,031 candidates are in the fray, including 101 women. Among the key contenders are Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini (BJP) from Ladwa, Congress’s Vinesh Phogat from Julana, and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Congress) from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi. Other significant candidates include INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala from Ellenabad, JJP's Dushyant Chautala from Uchana Kalan, and BJP leaders Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt) and OP Dhankar (Badli).

Independent candidates such as Savitri Jindal, India's richest woman and chairperson emeritus of the OP Jindal Group (Hisar seat), Ranjit Chautala (Rania), and Chitra Sarwara (Ambala Cantt) are also vying for seats in this crucial election.