Chandigarh, Oct 4 (IANS): Preparations are in full swing as Haryana is set to vote for 90 Assembly seats in a single phase on October 5. Polling will take place from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and a total of 2,03,54,350 people are eligible to exercise their franchise in the state.

Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Aggarwal confirmed that 20,632 polling booths have been set up statewide, including 455 in the Panchkula and Kalka assembly constituencies.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has mandated that exit poll predictions for Haryana will be released only after 6:30 p.m. on the same day, allowing voters to cast their ballots free from external influence.

In Panchkula, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Himadri Kaushik has briefed paramilitary forces and police personnel on security measures, emphasising the need for heightened vigilance, especially at sensitive polling stations. Strict guidelines have been issued, with a zero-tolerance policy towards negligence during duty.

The Sirsa district has also completed its election preparations, establishing 996 polling booths to accommodate over 10 lakh voters, including 25,138 first-time voters. Elaborate security arrangements are in place as 2,500 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed, alongside 40 patrolling teams, to monitor the area continuously.

Ellenabad Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rajesh Kumar confirmed that all necessary arrangements have been made for polling, including webcasting at every booth He also called for increased voter awareness to ensure maximum participation. People without a voter ID card can present one of 12 alternative identity documents approved by the ECI.

Officials have urged all eligible voters to verify their registration status and participate in the democratic process.

The ECI on August 31 shifted the polling date for the Haryana Assembly elections from October 1 to October 5. Dates for counting votes for both -- Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assemblies -- were also rescheduled from October 4 to October 8.