The Election Commission on Saturday deferred the Haryana assembly poll date to October 5 from October 1, keeping in mind a centuries-old festival of the Bishnoi community.

The counting of votes for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly polls will now be held on October 8 instead of October 4, the poll body said.

It said the decision has been taken to honour both the voting rights and traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a 300-400-year-old practice in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar.

The EC had received a representation from the national president of All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner, Rajasthan for rescheduling the date for the Haryana assembly elections.

He said generations of families from Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana visit their native village Mukam in Rajasthan on 'amavas' in the month of 'Asoj' for the annual festival in Bikaner in the memory of Guru Jambheshwar.

This year, the festival falls on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar will be travelling to Rajasthan on the day, denying them their voting rights.   -- PTI