Nearly 50% polling till 3 pm in Haryana assembly polls: ECI

Nearly 50 per cent polling was recorded till 3 pm in the Haryana assembly elections on Saturday in which the ruling BJP is eyeing a third term and the Congress seeking a comeback after a decade.

Officials said polling was going on smoothly barring a stray incident.

According to Election Commission data, a poll percentage of 49.13 was recorded till 3 pm after voting began at 7 am.

Till 3 pm, Ambala recorded a poll percentage of 49.39, Bhiwani 50.31, Charkhi Dadri 47.08, Faridabad 41.71, Fatehabad 52.46, Hisar 51.25, Jhajjar 49.68, Jind 53.94, Kaithal 50.58, Karnal 49.17, Kurukshetra 52.13, Mahendragarh 52.67, Mewat (Nuh) 56.59, Palwal 56.02, Panipat 49.40, Rewari 50.22, Rohtak 50.62, Sirsa 48.78, Sonipat 45.86 and Yamunanagar 56.79.

While voting was picking up pace in many districts, it was comparatively slow in Panchkula and Gurugram districts. At 3 pm, Gurgaon had the lowest poll percentage at 38.61 followed by Panchkula 42.60.

In Nuh district, there was a clash among supporters of the Congress' sitting MLA from Punhana and Independent candidate Rahish Khan in a village in the constituency which left three injured.

Among the top names in the fray are Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the BJP's Anil Vij and O P Dhankar, the Congress's Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Vinesh Phogat, the INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala and the JJP's Dushyant Chautala.

The BJP, Congress, the INLD-BSP the JJP-Azad Samaj Party alliances and the Aam Aadmi Party are the key parties contesting the polls. A total of 1,031 candidates are in the fray, including 101 women and 464 Independent nominees.

Voting will conclude at 6 pm and counting will be taken up on October 8.

Congress stalwarts Hooda, Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala, who also exercised their right to vote, said their party would form the next government.

The Congress high command will take the call on the next chief minister after the party wins the polls, they added.

Hooda, who is seeking re-election from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi in Rohtak district, said, "BJP ja rahi hai, Congress aa rahi hai (BJP is on its way out, the Congress is coming back to power)."

Congress candidate and Olympic wrestler Phogat urged people to recognise their power and exercise their franchise as "today is the day of change".

She is contesting from the Julana assembly constituency in Jind district.

Wrestler and Congress leader Bajrang Punia said there is a Congress wave in Haryana and claimed the party would win between 60 and 70 seats. Among other early voters were Saini, Khattar, BJP's Kuldeep Bishnoi and his family and JJP's Dushyant Chautala and his family.

In Hisar, senior Congress leader Selja said people of Haryana have been waiting for the assembly election to change the current dispensation in the state and bring her party to power.