Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala, John Brittas, has written to Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia requesting a paid holiday for postal employees on the day of the Assembly election on April 9. Brittas, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP, raised concerns over the Kerala Postal Circle’s instructions treating postal employees as “Absentee Voters in Essential Services” and the tight deadlines for opting for a postal ballot. He highlighted the mandatory provision in the Representation of the People Act, 1951, for a paid holiday on polling day to facilitate voting.
Brittas emphasized the historical practice of granting postal employees a holiday on polling day in other states like Assam and past elections in Kerala. He pointed out the recent deviation in Kerala’s approach, which he believes could restrict employees’ democratic rights. Stressing the importance of voting rights in India’s democracy, Brittas urged the Union Minister to address the issue promptly and ensure that postal employees in Kerala receive the statutory paid holiday on election day.
