General Elections and bye-elections 2026: Paid Holiday on Polling Day

• Section 135B, Representation of the People Act, 1951 mandates a paid holiday for every employee entitled to vote on poll day for Lok Sabha / State Legislative Assembly elections, including bye-elections.
• ECI invoked this provision for the 2026 General Elections to 5 State/UT Legislative Assemblies (Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal) and bye-elections to 8 Assembly Constituencies across 6 states.
• For UPSC, the topic is a junction of electoral law (RP Act 1951), labour rights, and ECI procedural powers — high Prelims yield, moderate Mains yield.