BJP eyes hat-trick, Congress hopes to make comeback as counting of votes begins in Haryana

CHANDIGARH: The BJP is aiming for the third consecutive term while the principal Opposition Congress is hoping to make a comeback in Haryana as counting of votes for the Assembly elections commenced across 93 counting centres in all 22 districts on Tuesday.

Two counting centres each have been set up for the Badshahpur, Gurugram and Pataudi assembly constituencies, while one counting centre each has been established for the remaining 87 constituencies, said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pankaj Agarwal.

To monitor the counting process, 90 counting observers also have been appointed by the Election Commission of India.

According to the CEO, 30 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed at all counting centres that have been put under a three-tier security cover. The Central security forces have been deployed in the innermost security cover while state armed police and district police personnel have been deployed in the outermost cover. Around 12,000 police personnel are on duty.

CEO Agarwal said that adequate checkpoints have been set up within a 100-metre of each counting centre. Unauthorised individuals are restricted from entering these areas. Additionally, CCTV cameras have been installed at the main entrance and throughout the entire premises of the counting centres to ensure comprehensive monitoring, he said.

The CEO further said that postal ballots would be counted first, followed by the counting of EVMs after 30 minutes. Accurate information on each round of counting will be uploaded in a timely manner.

Haryana registered 67.90 per cent voting in the elections on October 5. The highest -- 75.36 per cent -- voting was recorded in the Sirsa district and the lowest -- 56.49 per cent -- voting was recorded in the Faridabad district.

Constituency-wise, the highest 80.61 per cent voting was recorded in Ellenabad and the lowest 48.27 per cent voting was in Badkhal.

A majority of exit polls predicted the Congress would wrest power from the BJP in Haryana after remaining in opposition for 10 years.

The Congress, which carried a high-decibel campaign under former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is predicted to win 49-55 seats in the 90-member House. The majority mark for a party to form the government is 46.

However, predicting a historic win for the third consecutive term, Chief Minister and BJP candidate from Ladwa Assembly seat, Nayab Singh Saini, said they do not need any alliance as they would form the government on their own.

Besides, two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, the front-runner for the chief ministerial post, expressed confidence in the party forming a government in the state with a "thumping majority".

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) are also in the fray. Many Independents, mostly BJP rebels, have made the contest multi-cornered on several seats.

The BJP's vote share in the October 2019 Assembly election was 36.49 per cent when the party could not cross the halfway mark and stitched a post-poll alliance with the JJP.

The Congress registered over 15 per cent rise in its vote share in 2024 in comparison to the 2019 Parliamentary election vote share.