Nearly 65 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana with polling remaining peaceful throughout the day, officials said on Saturday.
Voting for all the parliamentary seats in the state ended at 6 pm, sealing the fate of 223 candidates, including former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, two Union ministers and Congress stalwart Kumari Selja. There were 207 men and 16 women in the fray.
The poll officials said that the turnout figure could increase as data is still being compiled. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the overall voting percentage was 70.
Voting was also held for the bypoll to the Karnal assembly seat where Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was in the fray against eight others. The bypoll was necessitated by his predecessor Khattar’s resignation.
The officials said that 57.8 per cent of the electorate in Karnal had cast its vote. The final vote percentage could increase as data is being compiled, they said. In view of the sweltering heat, voters queued up at many places in the state during morning and late afternoon.
Haryana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anurag Agarwal in a statement said that according to data compiled till 8 pm, a voter turnout of approximately 65 per cent was recorded for the 10 Lok Sabha seats.
There are 2,00,76,768 registered voters, including 94,23,956 women and 467 people from the transgender community, in the state, he said.
The Sirsa parliamentary constituency recorded the highest turnout of 69.77%. Following this, Ambala parliamentary constituency saw a 67.34% turnout, and Kurukshetra witnessed 67.01% voting. Similarly, Faridabad recorded 60.52%, Hisar 65.27%, Sonipat 63.44%, Rohtak 65.68%, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh 65.39%, Karnal 63.74%, and Gurgaon 62.03% voter turnout. Webcasting and master control setup was set up at the Election Commission, Chandigarh, from where the polling associated information was being updated.
Polling stations were monitored through webcasting and voting remained peaceful in the state, Agarwal said and added that polling time was till 6 pm and voters standing in queue till the stipulated time were allowed to cast their vote.
In 2019, the BJP had swept Haryana, winning all 10 Lok Sabha seats.
There was enthusiasm among first-time voters as they reached polling centres to exercise their franchise. The elderly also reached to vote, despite the weather condition. In Kurukshetra city, plants were given to voters at a polling station.
“The youth are the country’s backbone and everyone should participate in this festival of democracy by exercising their right to vote,” said a first-time voter in Panipat.
CEO Agarwal said keeping in mind the current hot weather conditions, the provision of additional resources at polling centres had been made in all districts, including arrangements for cold water, coolers, fans and tents.
Arrangements had also been made for wheelchairs and shades for the assistance of voters aged 85 and above and persons with disability, he said.
There were 99 women-managed polling stations in the state. Besides these, 96 polling stations were operated by young officials and 71 by persons with disability.
Khattar and Saini were among the first to cast their votes at their respective booths.
Saini, accompanied by his family members, cast his vote in his native Mirjapur Majra village in Ambala district’s Naraingarh. Khattar exercised his franchise at Karnal’s Prem Nagar.
Before casting his vote, Saini offered prayers at a temple and also paid obeisance at a gurdwara.
The BJP’s state chief and outgoing Kurukshetra MP, Saini, was sworn in as chief minister on March 12. While he is contesting the assembly bypoll, Khattar is the BJP candidate from the Karnal Lok Sabha seat.
Earlier in the morning, Saini, Khattar and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda appealed to voters to come out in large numbers and exercise their franchise.
Khattar, who is up against Haryana Youth Congress chief Divyanshu Budhiraja, said in Karnal that everyone must come forward to participate in the “festival of democracy”.
Saini, facing Congress’ Tarlochan Singh in the bypoll, appealed to every eligible voter to cast their vote.
Hooda and his son Deepender Singh Hooda cast their votes in Rohtak district.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala exercised his franchise in Kaithal while Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala cast his vote in his native village in Sirsa district.
From Hisar, Power Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala, an Independent MLA who joined the BJP ahead of the polls, is in fray against two members of the Chautala clan — Jannayak Janta Party’s (JJP) Naina Chautala and INLD’s Sunaina Chautala.
Former Congress MP Jai Prakash is also in the fray from Hisar.
Ranjit Singh Chautala and his family members cast their votes in Sirsa.
JJP chief Ajay Singh Chautala and his wife Naina Chautala also cast their votes, along with their sons — former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala in Sirsa.
At the polling booth, Ajay Singh Chautala touched the feet of his uncle Ranjit Singh Chautala and sought his blessings.
Naina Chautala, who also sought Ranjit Singh Chautala’s blessings, told reporters that elections are for politicians what board exams are for children. “We have done our work and now it is over to the people,” she said.
In Hisar’s Adampur, BJP leaders Kuldeep Bishnoi, his wife Renuka Bishnoi and son Bhavya Bishnoi, an MLA, cast their votes.
The Congress’ INDIA bloc partner AAP is contesting from Kurukshetra, where it fielded its
Haryana unit chief Sushil Gupta against the BJP’s Naveen Jindal and the INLD’s Abhay Singh Chautala.
Union ministers Rao Inderjit Singh and Krishan Pal Gurjar are seeking re-election from Gurugram and Faridabad, respectively.
From Gurugram, the Congress has fielded senior leader Raj Babbar. Selja is contesting from Sirsa.
The JJP has fielded candidates from all 10 Lok Sabha seats, INLD from seven and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from nine.