The Haryana Assembly election date has been changed from October 1 to October 5 in view of a festival of the Bishnoi community, the Election Commission announced on Saturday.

The polling dates for Jammu and Kashmir – September 18, September 25 and October 1 – will remain unchanged. However, the date when votes for both elections will be counted has been changed from October 4 to October 8.

The poll panel said it received representations from political parties and the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha saying that the community will celebrate the centuries-old Asoj Amavasya festival, which falls on October 2 this year.

On the festival, many Bishnoi families visit the Mukam village in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district, where a memorial of Guru Jambeshwar, the founder of the sect, is located, according to NDTV.

The Election Commission said on Saturday that holding the Haryana polls on October 1 could “deny voting rights to large number of people and may lead to [reduced] voters’ participation”.

Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party chief Mohan Lal Badoli claimed that the date was changed after he wrote to the Election Commission and informed it about the festival of the Bishnoi community, PTI reported. He expressed gratitude to the poll panel for changing the date.

However, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Bhupender Hooda claimed that the BJP had accepted defeat in the election, ANI reported.

“It is the Election Commission's right, they have extended the date,” he said. “When the Haryana government wrote a letter to the Election Commission, I had said at that time that the BJP had accepted defeat.”