The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) state unit has requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to change the polling date in Haryana, citing concerns that a long weekend could affect voter turnout. The Congress has accused the BJP of fearing a loss and using the request as an excuse to delay the election. In response, the BJP has asserted its readiness for elections on any date. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has also supported the BJP's demand for a date change.

The ECI's state unit has forwarded the application to Delhi and is awaiting a response. Haryana is scheduled to vote on October 1 (Tuesday), along with the third and final phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir, with results to be announced on October 4.

Given that September 28-29 are weekends and October 2-3 are holidays (for Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti and Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti), a person who takes leave on September 30 could enjoy a six-day break, including polling day, which is also a public holiday.

Haryana's urbanisation level was 28.9% according to the 2011 census, a figure likely to have increased with the expansion of the National Capital Region (NCR). Fourteen districts of Haryana are part of the NCR, including key urban centres such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak, Sonipat and Bhiwani.

© NDTV