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Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal on Tuesday, 23 October, ordered re-polling in five booths of as many assembly constituencies in the state on Wednesday, due to "some shortcomings," PTI reported.
Haryana recorded a turnout of 65 percent for 90 constituencies in the assembly elections by 6 pm on Monday, 21 October the Election Commission said.
The polling that began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm was largely peaceful, barring a violent incident in Nuh, officials told PTI.
Multiple exit polls predicted BJP to win 3/4th seats in the state but varied widely in their projection of seats for the rival alliances.
Re-polling will be conducted in five Assembly Constituencies of Haryana – Uchana Kalan (in Jind), Berry (in Jhajjar), Narnaul (in Narnaul), Kosli (in Rewari), Prithla (in Faridabad) on Wednesday, 23 October, Chief Electoral Officer of Haryana Anurag Agarwal said, according to ANI.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the BJP's candidate from Haryana's Assandh as the “most honest man” in the ruling party after a video went viral in which he is purportedly heard saying no matter which button is pressed on the EVM, the vote would go to the BJP, reported PTI.
A woman was injured as clash took place between two groups outside a polling booth in Malaaka village in Nuh district in Haryana's Mewat region, a senior police official said.
A senior police official said that some argument broke out between a present Sarpanch and former Sarpanch after which some of their supporters accompanying them clashed.
Stones were also hurled during which one woman was injured, Nuh's Superintendent of Police, Sangeeta Kalia said over phone.
“However, the polling process was not hampered and the situation was peaceful now,” the SP told PTI.
Haryana Chief Electoral Officer, Agarwal on viral video of BJP candidate Bakshish Singh in which he allegedly said 'every vote on EVM is for BJP' said, “A show-cause notice was issued to the candidate, he replied saying, 'video was edited'. Matter is being investigated,” reported ANI.
Former Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar showed his finger marked with indelible ink after casting his vote in Sirsa.
Former Indian Hockey captain and BJP candidate from Pehowa, Sandeep Singh casts his vote at a polling booth in Kurukshetra.
Senior Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Miniser Bhupinder Singh Hooda cast his vote along with his family members at a polling booth in Rohtak.
Hooda confidently remarked, “Congress will form the government in Haryana.”
On Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar taking a train and then riding a cycle to the polling booth, he said, “For 5 years he did not come down from the helicopter. This is just for publicity.”
Talking about the right to exercise franchise, he said, “India’s freedom fighters fought for the right to vote. Everyone should acknowledge this and cast their votes today.”
In Rohtak, supporters of senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda dance in Sanghi village, where Hooda is expected to arrive shortly, reported ANI.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar travelled by train from Chandigarh to Karnal and then rode a bicycle to reach a polling booth to cast his vote.
Khattar after casting his vote in Karnal said, “Voting is underway peacefully across the state. Opposition parties including Congress have already lost and have left the battleground, their tall claims have no value,” reported ANI.
Subhash Barala, Haryana BJP president, casts his vote in Fatehabad.
While talking to the reporters, he said, “Everyone in Haryana wants an honest and diligent government. The ones who want this are standing with the BJP today.”
As per the Election Commission data, brisk polling was going on in many districts.
Among other districts, poll percentage in Jind was 7.91 percent, Bhiwani 10.76 percent, Ambala 6.67 percent, Palwal 8.88 percent, Gurugram 6.40 percent, Faridabad 6.10 percent, Mewat 10.24 percent, Rewari 6.79 percent, Rohtak 9.80 percent, Hisar 11 percent and in Karnal district it was 5.92 percent.
Panchkula district had the lowest polling percentage at 2.46 percent, reported PTI.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar rode a cycle to the polling booth.
Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala and his family arrived on a tractor to cast their votes at a polling booth in Sirsa.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala cast his vote in Kaithal. While talking to ANI, he said, “I think that development will win and 'Gundaraj' will end. And you will see that Haryana will progress towards more development.”
He added, “The polls will decided by the people and not BJP. Ego is everyone's enemy and their ego will be busted too.”
Home Minister Amit Shah took to Twitter, urging people to go out and exercise their franchise.
“All my brothers and sisters from Haryana vote before taking refreshments and participate in the development of the state,” he wrote.
In Sonipat, Yogeshwar Dutt, Olympic Medallist and BJP candidate from Baroda casts his vote. He is contesting against Congress candidate Krishan Hooda.
Wrestlers Babita Phogat, Geeta Phogat and their family cast their vote at a polling booth in Balali village in Charkhi Dadri constituency.
Babita is contesting on BJP ticket from from the consitutency against Congress candidate Nirpender Singh Sangwan and JJP candidate Satpal Sangwan.
TikTok star Sonali Phogat who is contesting on a BJP ticket from Adampur constituency, also cast her vote. She is up against senior Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi.
Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee President Kumari Selja casts her vote in Hisar at polling booth number 103 in Yashoda Public School.
Voting was put on hold in Gurugram after an EVM machine at booth number 286 in Badshahpur stopped working, reported ANI.
Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress’ candidate in Haryana said, “Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) are not factors, the contest is between Congress and BJP. Congress will get the majority,” reported ANI.
The polling for the 90-member Haryana Assembly has begun. The voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, officials said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter, urging citizens to cast their votes. He wrote, “I urge voters in these states and seats to turnout in record numbers and enrich the festival of democracy.”
With Haryana going to polls on Monday, 21 October, Director General of Police Manoj Yadava appealed to people to reach their respective polling stations in large numbers and cast vote without any fear.
He assured that the Haryana Police had made elaborate security arrangements for fair and peaceful conduct of the assembly elections, in which over 1.83 people are eligible to vote.
Tight security arrangements had been made to ensure smooth polling and over 75,000 personnel had been mobilised, Yadava said.
Hours after a video of a BJP candidate purportedly making controversial remarks about electronic voting machines surfaced on social media, Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal sought to ally fears of tampering, saying these were completely safe, according to PTI.
"EVMs are completely safe and cannot be tampered with," said Agarwal in an official release on Sunday, 20 October, adding that the EVM system was the "strongest and safest" in the world and every citizen should be proud of it.
In the video, BJP's Assandh candidate Bakshish Singh Virk purportedly says that no matter which button is pressed on the electronic voting machine, the vote would go to the BJP.
Addressing a rally in Rewari, PM Modi said that the BJP government has
Ahead of the polling for the 90-member Haryana Assembly on 21 October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an election rally in Sirsa.
Addressing a rally in Haryana on Friday, 18 October, PM Narendra Modi lashed out at the Congress over its stand on Article 370, saying its statements are being used by Pakistan against India and asked what kind of "chemistry" it shares with the neighbouring country.
He also said that the Congress has already "accepted defeat" in the state's Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, at a rally in Haryana's Mahendragarh, alleged that PM Modi has no understanding of the economy and the world is mocking India due to his government's divisive politics that pitted people against each other.
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Published: 18 Oct 2019,08:57 PM IST