High-Stakes Haryana: Battle for Assembly Dominance

Polling for 90 Assembly seats in Haryana began amid tight security. Top leaders including CM Saini, Congress's Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and JJP's Dushyant Chautala are contesting. The BJP aims for a third term, while rivals seek to dethrone them. Voting lasts until 6 pm, with results on October 8.

Polling for 90 Assembly seats in Haryana opened amid tight security on Saturday morning, with key political figures like Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, and Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker among the early voters.

Major political leaders in the fray include Congress's veteran Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the JJP's Dushyant Chautala. In contrast, the Congress is vying for a return to power after a decade by toppling the BJP.

With over two million voters eligible to cast their ballots, the electorate comprises a diverse demographic — including 101 female candidates and 464 Independents — across 20,632 polling booths statewide, according to Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal.

(With inputs from agencies.)