The Punjab government on Thursday announced that 20 February – the polling day in the state – will be a paid holiday.
“The date of polling shall be a paid holiday in respect of all persons employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment situated in the state of Punjab and entitled to vote in the election to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha-2022 on this day," an official statement read.
Voting in Punjab’s 117 assembly seats will be held in a single phase and the counting will take place on 10 March.
Meanwhile, the first phase of the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly concluded on Thursday.
As per the Election Commission of India's Voter Turnout application, the total voter turnout for the first phase of the polls was 59.87% at the end of the session.
The districts which recorded the highest voter turnout were Shamli with 66.14 per cent, followed by Muzaffarnagar and Mathura at 65.32% 62.90%, respectively.
Gautam Buddha Nagar reported only 54.38% voter turnout till 7:55 pm.
Other than Gautam Buddha Nagar, the districts with the lowest reported voter turnout are Ghaziabad, Meerut, Agra with 52.43%, 60% and 60.23%, respectively.
Voting for the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections began today at 7 am.
This phase of polls covered 58 Assembly constituencies across 11 districts of the state.
The voting, which concluded at 6 pm, will decide the electoral fate of 623 candidates.
In the Noida Assembly seat, Samajwadi Party's Sunil Chaudhary contested against Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's son Pankaj Singh. Congress leader Pankhuri Pathak and BSP leader Kriparam Sharma were also in the fray from the same seat.
The police had sealed the borders of the state and strict vigilance is underway to maintain peace in 58 constituencies where elections are underway.
The second phase of polling for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly is scheduled for 14 February.
