Political parties are gearing up for the upcoming legislative assembly for Karnataka. May 10 will decide the fate of various political parties, especially the BJP, as it is in power at the Center. Here is what Karnataka is going to look like on May 10.
1) Public Holiday:
In anticipation of the election, the state administration on Tuesday proclaimed May 10 a holiday for all government offices, schools, and institutions. Additionally, it allowed returning officers to declare May 9 and May 13 as holidays. The Election Commission had deliberately scheduled the election in the middle of the week to prevent people from combining the poll-day holiday with weekends to go on vacations.
Image Source: Deccan Herald
The Department of Personnel and Administration said, “In order to facilitate voters to cast their votes, a public holiday is declared on 10.05.2023, Wednesday to all the Central and State Government offices, schools, colleges, various organisations and private institutions (including aided and un-aided educational institutions within the respective polling area.”
2) Paid Holiday For Non-Voters On May 10:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) advised the state administration to proclaim May 10, the day of the Karnataka Assembly election, as paid leave for all employees to promote high voter participation. Whether non-voters should still be expected to work and be paid on election day has been questioned by the fintech industry, the IT sector, and other private businesses.
Tushar Giri Nath
Image Source: Deccan Herald
Tushar Giri Nath, the District Electoral Officer and Chief Commissioner of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), has made it clear that all Karnataka employees, regardless of whether they are voters or not, shall observe May 10 as a public holiday. However, he said that if a factory or industry is deemed necessary, it may continue to function and employ non-voters.
According to Giri Nath, it would be challenging to distinguish between voters and non-voters in any context, which is why a paid holiday has been declared for every employee.
3) Govt Schools And Offices Will be Converted To Polling Booths:
The ECI also stated that the appropriate returning officer might decide to proclaim a holiday on May 9 and May 13 in order to ensure the smooth operation of the polls at the polling booths set up in government buildings and schools.
Govt School Converted To Polling Booth
Image Source: Deccan Herald
