Paid holiday declared for Delhi polling day; UP and Haryana follow suit

New Delhi [India], February 5 : A paid holiday has been declared for employees in both government and private sectors in Delhi as polling for 70 assembly seats is set to take place on Wednesday, officials said.
Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have also announced a paid holiday due to the elections in the National Capital.
Delhi Chief Electoral Officer R Alice Vaz told ANI, "A paid holiday has been declared for shops and establishments, as well as staff working in government and private sectors. Our neighbouring states, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, have also declared a paid holiday. We have communicated this widely and are ensuring its public awareness."
She urged voters to participate in the elections, saying, "I request all voters in Delhi to come and cast their vote and be part of this memorable experience."

To ensure transparency, authorities will monitor all polling stations via CCTV cameras from the Election Commission's monitoring room in Delhi.
Meanwhile, Delhi police have stepped up preparations to ensure smooth polling.
Special CP DC Srivastava told ANI, "... All the parties have reached their polling booths. They are setting themselves so that the polling process concludes efficiently tomorrow... Delhi has police have ensured that free and fair elections take place. We have taken action against anyone who has violated the law..."
Security forces carried out a flag march in the Shahpur Jat village under the PS Hauz Khas area.
DCP South, Ankit Chauhan said, "As there are less than 12 hours left in the polling for the Delhi Assembly election, we have intensified patrolling in the densely populated areas. We are conducting flag marches. We will not allow any nefarious element to disrupt polling. Border checking has been intensified to avoid illegal smuggling and illicit liquor and ban entry on muscle power. We are using Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), We are using local police and home guards."
"We have created social media cells. We monitor posts and respond immediately. We have seized cash of more than 1 crore from the South district, and we have seized a huge amount of illicit liquor. We have detected 2 commercial quantities of narcotics," he added.
Joint CP Law and Order (L&O), Noida Shiv Hari Meena said, "Tomorrow Delhi Assembly polls are to be held...there are 11 points of neighbouring border district where checking is being conducted. All the senior officers are also present. This is a joint check with the Delhi Police."