Rajiv Kumar, the chief election commissioner, stated that the polling day is on Wednesday (May 10) in order to enhance voter turnout while publishing the polling statistics for the Karnataka elections on March 29.’
In order to encourage employees of both public and private organisations to vote, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the Karnataka government to declare a paid vacation on election day (May 10).
In compliance with Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the ECI informed the chief electoral officer and chief secretary of Karnataka of this direction in a letter dated March 31.
Any individual who is working in a business, trade, industrial activity, or any other institution and is qualified to vote in an election for the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a State will be entitled to a vacation on the day of the election, according to Section 135B.
All types of employees, including those employed by the government, public sector organisations, banks, financial institutions, and private firms, are covered by this.
Moreover, the order says that electors who work outside the relevant constituency as well as daily pay and casual employees will be entitled to the advantage of a paid holiday. This does not, however, apply to any elector whose absence may endanger them or result in a significant loss of income from their work.
Election day for the Karnataka state legislature will take place on May 10, a Wednesday. According to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, this choice was chosen to boost voter turnout.
“When elections are conducted close to the weekend, we’ve noticed that people choose to leave the city on Mondays or Fridays rather than casting their ballots. It will be challenging for them to take two days off work because election day falls on a Wednesday “said he.
In Karnataka, there are 224 assembly seats, with 28 of them located in Bengaluru. Voter tallies will be tallied on May 13.
