Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli has asked the Election Commission (EC) to defer the Assembly elections, scheduled to be held on October 1, as “families may go out of the state for a long holiday”.

The Congress has mocked the state’s ruling party for the demand claiming they are “scared of the polls”.

The BJP’s demand came after the EC declared that it had ensured none of the upcoming Assembly polls — three phases in Jammu and Kashmir and a single phase in Haryana — fell on a Friday, Saturday or Monday. Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar has cited this as a reason for lower voter turnouts where people use the day off for polling to go on a long weekend holiday.

Badoli pointed out in his letter to the poll panel on Thursday: “… They (voters) can take leave of only one day (30.09.2024, Monday) and go on a long leave of five days from 28.09.2024 to 02.10.2024.”

October 1 is a Tuesday and Gandhi Jayanti is the day after.

He added: “Apart from this, due to the Amavasya of Asoj on 02.10.2024, most of the Bishnoi community of Haryana will participate in the fair which is held every year in Muqam village of Naukha tehsil of Bikaner…. Therefore, it would be appropriate that the date fixed for voting for Haryana Assembly elections should be held a little later instead of 01.10.2024.”

Durga Puja festivities — not widely observed in Haryana — begin on October 3.

Congress MP Deepender Hooda posted on X: “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 to. That is why BJP is conspiring to postpone the elections by making an excuse of holidays.”

Badoli responded: “This letter has not been written to postpone the elections but to ensure that a maximum number of people can vote and as far as the question of fear is concerned, the Congress is afraid of this letter.”