Bihar Elections 2025: Election Commission Announces Paid Holiday On Polling Day
The ECI said that no deduction of wages shall be made on account of such a paid holiday. Any employer who contravenes these provisions shall be liable to a fine.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced the schedule for the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Bihar, 2025 and bye-elections in eight Assembly Constituencies. The ECI has also announced a paid holiday on polling day.
The dates of poll in Bihar have been fixed on Nov. 6, 2025 (Thursday) for Phase-I and Nov. 11 (Tuesday) for Phase-II and the bye-elections to all the 8 ACs are also to be held on Nov. 11.
As per Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 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 to the Legislative Assembly of a State/UT, shall be granted a paid holiday on the day of poll.
The ECI said that no deduction of wages shall be made on account of such a paid holiday. Any employer who contravenes these provisions shall be liable to a fine. All daily wage and casual workers are also entitled to a paid holiday on the day of poll.
The ECI has further clarified that electors (including casual and daily wage workers) who are working or employed in industrial or commercial establishments located outside their constituency but are registered as voters in a constituency going to polls shall also be entitled to the benefit of a paid holiday on the day of the poll to enable them to cast their vote.
The Commission has directed all State/UT Governments to issue necessary instructions to all concerned for strict compliance with these provisions and to ensure that all electors can exercise their franchise freely and conveniently.
Election fever gripped Bihar on Friday as the filing of nomination papers for the first phase of Assembly polls concluded, with the ruling NDA projecting a resolute campaign in sharp contrast to the disarray seen in the opposition INDIA bloc.
According to the Election Commission, more than 1,250 candidates filed their papers for the 121 seats which go to polls on November 6, and the number was likely to go up as data was still flowing in from districts.
