BJP’s poll delay bid a sign it’s losing: Hooda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 24

Former CM and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda today lambasted the BJP for asking the Election Commission to delay the poll, terming it as their acceptance of defeat.

He said, “Elections for the Haryana Legislative Assembly were announced more than a week ago (August 16). Now, they have woken up to write to the Election Commission. This implies they want to postpone the elections and have accepted their defeat.”

Bhupinder Hooda added, “When the elections were announced, we thanked the Election Commission because people don’t want to tolerate this government (BJP government) even for a day. The elections should happen on time. The public holidays around the polling date were known a week ago too, but they are writing to the Election Commission now. The people of Haryana are mature. They will come out in large numbers on voting day.”

Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli wrote to the Election Commission on August 22 stating that a string of holidays around the polling date could impact voter turnout. He reasoned that September 28 and 29 are Saturday and Sunday and October 1 is a polling holiday. October 2 is a holiday due to the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. He added that taking leave on September 30 creates a scenario of five holidays for both government employees and those in the private sector.

holidays an excuse

It (BJP) has no issue, no work or achievement to tell the public, and no 90 candidates to give tickets. That is why BJP is conspiring to postpone the elections by making an excuse of holidays. —Deepender Hooda, Congress leader

Badoli said that families might leave the state due to these holidays, potentially affecting voter turnout.

Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda said that BJP’s letter to the Election Commission shows “how scared BJP is of the elections.” In a post on X, he said, “Seeing its defeat in front, the ruling party is giving childish arguments. Because it has no issue, no work or achievement to tell the public, and no 90 candidates to give tickets. That is why BJP is conspiring to postpone the elections by making an excuse of holidays.”

He added, “Haryana ke matdata behad jagrook hain. Woh kahin chutti manane nahin jayenge, balki BJP ki chutti karne ke liye bhaari sankhya mein matdaan kendra aakar vote denge (The voters of Haryana are very aware. They will not go anywhere for a holiday but will come to the polling booth in large numbers to vote out BJP).”

Supporting Badoli’s move, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, while talking to mediapersons in Kurukshetra today, said that voting percentage could be affected. “If voting percentage is good, it is good for democracy,” he added.

Meanwhile, Indian National Lok Dal’s secretary general Abhay Singh Chautala also wrote to Election Commission today for delaying the poll by a week due to the string of holidays around October 1.