To be very candid with you, I think the explanation appears cynical, and I don't think that there's any concern about holding an election during the period of Diwali, given the number of other opportunities people have to vote and the fact that many people who are observant of Diwali—Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists alike—would still be happy to vote on the day of the election. I'm not persuaded by the argument that the day of the election needs to be moved, to be very candid with you.
On November 5th, 2024. See this statement in context.