Paid Holiday on Poll Days 2026: ECI Mandate for General Elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal & Puducherry

Paid Holiday on Poll Days - General Elections to Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, 2026

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1. Circulation Details

To:

1. The Secretary to the Govt. of India, M/o Personnel Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi

2. The Chief Secretaries of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry

3. The Chief Electoral Officers of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry

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2. Subject

General Elections to Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, 2026 - PAID HOLIDAY - regarding.

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3. Background

The Election Commission of India has announced the General Elections to Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and UT of Puducherry, 2026 vide Press Note No. ECI/PN/029/2026 dated 15.03.2026 available on the Commission's website under URL: https://www.eci.gov.in/issue-details-page/press-releases

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4. Poll Dates

 

State/UT	Poll Date	Day
Assam	09.04.2026	Thursday
Kerala	09.04.2026	Thursday
Puducherry (UT)	09.04.2026	Thursday
Tamil Nadu	23.04.2026	Thursday
West Bengal	23.04.2026	Thursday
West Bengal	29.04.2026	Wednesday

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5. Legal Provision - Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951

The attention of all concerned is invited to Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which provides for the grant of paid holiday to employees on the day of poll.

Section 135B - Grant of paid holiday to employees on the day of poll:

a) Every person employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment and entitled to vote at an election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a State/UT shall, on the day of poll be granted a holiday.

b) No deduction or abatement of the wages of any such person shall be made on account of a holiday having been granted in accordance with sub-section (1) and if such person is employed on the basis that she/he would not ordinarily receive wages for such a day, she/he shall nonetheless be paid for such day the wages she/he would have drawn had not a holiday been granted to her/him on that day.

c) If an employer contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), then such employer shall be punishable with fine, which may extend to five hundred rupees.

d) This section shall not apply to any elector whose absence may cause danger or substantial loss in respect of the employment in which he is engaged.

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6. Key Provisions and Clarifications

i. All electors who are employees of establishments and shops (including those working on shift basis) shall be granted a paid holiday on the day of poll in the Constituency where the General Election to Legislative Assembly is to be held.

ii. In cases where a person is ordinarily a resident of the Constituency and registered as an elector but is serving or employed in an industrial undertaking or an establishment located outside the Constituency having General poll, such electors (including casual workers) working outside the constituency concerned would be entitled to the benefit of a paid holiday extended under Section 135B(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

iii. Daily wage workers and casual workers are also entitled to a holiday and wages on poll day as provided in Section 135B of the R.P. Act, 1951.

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7. Directive

The Commission hereby directs that necessary instructions be issued to all concerned for strict compliance, under intimation to the Commission, thereby endorsing a copy of the same.

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8. Acknowledgement

The receipt of this letter may kindly be acknowledged.