The Haryana BJP’s request to Election Commission to postpone the October 1 Assembly election, citing holidays before and after the polls date that could lead to lower voter turnout, has drawn a jest from the Congress that BJP has accepted defeat.

The former Haryana Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda took a dig at BJP saying the saffron party had accepted defeat by requesting the Election Commission to defer the Assembly election date, adding that the people were ready to throw out the incumbent government.

Speaking to a reporter, senior Congress leader Hooda said elections have been declared and it has been more than a week since it was declared.

He added, “This means that they want to postpone the election. They are accepting defeat and we want the Election Commission to hold the election on time because people do not want the government to remain in power for even a day.

Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal confirmed that the commission has received a copy of the communication on Friday over e-mail. “We have received the communication from state BJP and forwarded it to the Election Commission,” Agarwal said.

Varinder Garg, a member of the BJP’s state election management committee, had cited reason that the Assembly election date of October 1 is preceded by a holiday on the weekend and followed by some holidays which may hit the voting percentage as people tend to go on vacation on long weekends which are followed by holidays.

“Saturday (September 28) is a holiday for many, while Sunday is a holiday. October 1 is a poll holiday in the state which is followed by Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, which is a holiday and October 3 is also a holiday on account of Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti,” he said.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on his party’s Assembly election postponement request, said that the BJP state president Mohan Badoli had written to Election Commission to shift the election date in consultation with other political parties so that vote percentage can be increased.

He added, “There are holidays continuously therefore this letter has been written so that vote percentage does not go down.”

Amid buzz over his joining BJP, the former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren arrived in Delhi on Sunday.

His visit to the national capital has sparked a flurry of political activity. Rumors are swirling about his potential defection ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections scheduled for this year.

Speaking to reporters after arriving at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, Soren dismissed the speculations and said he had come to Delhi for some personal work. He added in Hindi: “Abhi hum jahan par hain vahi par hain” (I am where I am).

This morning, amidst speculations, the senior JMM leader and former Chief Minister of Jharkhand headed to Delhi, sparking rumors of a potential switch of his allegiance to the BJP with six-party MLAs in tow.

The JMM swiftly dismissed the reports of Champai Soren considering a switch to the BJP as mere hearsay. JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey criticised the BJP as a “sinking ship” and asserted that Soren had no intention of joining the party.

Reports suggest that the former Chief Minister of Jharkhand held discussions with BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in Kolkata the previous day.

Soren assumed the role of Chief Minister of Jharkhand in February this year after Hemant Soren’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a high-profile money laundering case. However, his tenure was short-lived as he resigned in July, allowing current Chief Minister Hemant Soren to reclaim his position.

The timing of Soren’s visit to Delhi has stirred speculation, particularly his scheduled meetings with BJP officials. This development follows his recent encounter with former JMM legislator Lobin Hembrom, who is also reportedly engaging with BJP representatives.

Despite this, Soren played down the significance of the meeting, dismissing it as a routine exchange. It’s worth noting that Hembrom was recently disqualified as a JMM MLA under the anti-defection law.

Nationalist Congress Party  (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday wondered why the upcoming state elections are not being held simultaneously despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushing for one nation one election and said there is no truth in what Prime Minister says.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, the 82-year-old politician said PM Modi in his Independence Day speech had pitched for one nation one election.

On Friday, the Election Commission announced that Jammu and Kashmir will have three-phase elections in September-October, while Haryana will have a single-round voting during the same period. The assembly elections in Maharashtra, which were held alongside Haryana in 2019, will be announced at a later date due to security requirements for Jammu and Kashmir.

The election dates for Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana have been announced, but the dates for Jharkhand and Maharashtra have not been declared. Therefore, the NCP (SP) chief stated that there is no truth in what PM Modi says.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP), previously criticised the Election Commission for the poll schedule and suggested that the BJP-led Mahayuti wanted more time to “fool” the people of Maharashtra with fake promises.

In response to concerns about tensions in Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar regarding alleged objectionable remarks by Hindu religious leader Ramgiri Maharaj against Prophet Mohammad and Islam, Pawar stated that it is not in the interest of society. The religious leader explained that his statement was made in reaction to the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.

Pawar emphasised the need for peace and urged both society and politicians to be patient and cautious. He also called for the government and Home Department to take responsibility.

Regarding the regime change in Bangladesh, Pawar mentioned that there have been some reactions in a few places in India. He expressed surprise at the reactions coming from Maharashtra over the events in Bangladesh.