With Gazetted and Restricted holidays coupled with weekends falling in row around April 10th, the Election Commission is apprehensive that the voting percentage may dip substantially during the lok Sabha polls as compared to the Delhi Assembly polls in December last year.
There is a reason behind this as the Government employees may try to exploit the surfeit of the Government holidays and take three days casual leave to enjoy an extended holiday. In 2009 general elections, the voting percentage was 53 per cent while in Assembly polls, it was recorded 66 per cent.
Voting in Delhi will be held on April 10 which falls between the holidays run from April 5 to 15. As per the calendar, April 5 and 6 falls on Saturday and Sunday. April 7 is a working day while there is a Gazetted holiday on April 8 on the occasion of Ram Navami. April 9 is the working day. The election will be held on April 10. The next day is a working day after that there is weekend off on Saturday and Sunday. April 14 and 15 are restricted holidays.
Several individuals including some Government officials in the Capital have already planned to go on leave from April 5. A senior official said that he has already taken three-day casual leave to extend his holiday till April 15.
Expressing reservation that voting percentage may go down in the coming lok Sabha polls, Chief Nodal Officer Ankur Garg said that Delhi voters are matured enough and they do not treat voting day as a holiday and participate in the electoral process.
“During the last Assembly polls, a large number of youth come out to exercise their votes. There is a possibility that voting percentage may dip as compared to the Assembly polls in Delhi due to lack of interest in voters and connectivity with the candidates,” he said.