High-stakes BJP vs Congress contest in Haryana today, voting to start at 7 am

Haryana is all set to witness a multi-cornered electoral battle as over 2 crore eligible voters will exercise their franchise to elect 90 legislators in a single phase Assembly elections today.
The polls will determine the political fate of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat, JJP leader Dushyant Chautala, and 1,027 other candidates in the political fray.
The BJP, eyeing a third consecutive term, faces a significant challenge from the Congress, which hopes to reclaim power after a decade. Even regional parties such as Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which had an alliance with the BJP from 2019 until early 2024, and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have positioned themselves to potentially play the role of kingmakers.
Voters across the state will cast ballots in 90 constituencies between 7 am and 6 pm. The electoral process will see over 2 crore voters, including 8,821 centenarians, casting their votes across 20,632 polling booths.
Out of the total voters, 1,07,75,957 are men, 95,77,926 are women, and 467 are transgenders, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said. There are 5,24,514 voters aged 18 to 19, and 1,49,142 voters with disabilities, out of which 93,545 are male, 55,591 are female, and 6 are transgenders.
A total of 2,31,093 voters are above the age of 85 years, comprising 89,940 males and 1,41,153 females. Additionally, there are 8,821 voters aged over 100, including 3,283 males and 5,538 females.
Special arrangements have been made for voters with disabilities and 144 model polling stations. Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal confirmed that 27,866 electronic voting machines (EVMs), 24,719 control units, and 26,774 VVPAT machines will be used in the electoral event. All polling stations will have webcasting, and voter assistance booths will be in place.
Security has been heightened with over 30,000 police personnel and 225 paramilitary companies deployed to ensure peaceful elections. Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur mentioned that additional security measures would be in place at 3,460 critical and 138 vulnerable polling booths.
Apart from this, 115 polling stations will be entirely managed by women staff, 114 by youth employees, and 87 by persons with disabilities employees. Furthermore, 507 flying squads and 464 surveillance teams have been mobilised to monitor the election process.
A total of 1,031 candidates are contesting in this election, including 101 women and 464 independents. Notable figures include Chief Minister Saini (Ladwa), Leader of Opposition Hooda (Garhi Sampla-Kiloi), Indian National Lok Dal’s Abhay Singh Chautala (Ellenabad), JJP’s Dushyant Chautala (Uchana Kalan), and Congress’s Vinesh Phogat (Julana).
Former BJP MP Shruti Choudhry and her cousin Anirudh Chaudhary are contesting from Tosham. Additionally, former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal’s grandson Bhavya Bishnoi will represent the BJP from the Adampur seat.
Among the independent candidates include Savitri Jindal (Hisar), Ranjit Chautala (Rania) and Chitra Sarwara (Ambala Cantt).
The BJP, which has governed the state for the past decade, is aiming for a third consecutive victory. However, the saffron party faces the challenge of overcoming 10 years of anti-incumbency. In 2014, the BJP, buoyed by the Modi wave, secured 47 seats, forming its first-ever government in Haryana with Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini remains optimistic, highlighting the development work his government has undertaken over the past decade, asserting that Haryana has become a “developed state” under the BJP’s leadership.
On the other hand, Congress is hopeful of capitalising on its strong showing in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The party’s manifesto offers seven guarantees, including a legal assurance for MSPs, a caste survey, and a Rs 2,000 monthly allowance for women.
Rahul Gandhi has led the Congress campaign, criticising the BJP on key issues such as the Agniveer scheme, farmers protest and the wrestlers’ agitation.