JOIN USThe High Court has refused to allow the employees of Mico (Motor Industries Company) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for a paid holiday on Saturday to enable them to vote for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections.
Counsels for the two companies told the High Court on Friday that the employees would get three hours off duty to go and cast their votes.
The Mico Karmikara Sangha and Hindustan Aeronautics Employees had filed a petition, contending that Section 135 (B) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, provides for grant of paid holiday to employees on the day of polling.
The State Election Commission had issued a circular to ensure there is a holiday for schools, colleges and factories to enable the citizens to vote.
The HAL, however, has issued a circular, stating that employees can avail themselves of three hours off to cast their votes provided they produce certificates from the polling officer that they had exercise their franchise.
Justice S Abdul Nazeer didn’t consider the petitioner’s demand for a paid holiday and adjourned the next hearing until four weeks later.
HC rejects BJP plea
The High Court on Friday dismissed a petition by two BJP candidates in the BBMP elections, L Srinivas and Shobha L, against their Congress rivals for distributing pamphlets which said that they had encroached upon a piece of land in Chikkallasandra.
The BJP candidates contended that their Congress rivals, T Pramod and Gurappa Naidu, were trying to “malign and defame” them by distributing the pamphlets.
According to the petitioners, they filed a complaint at the Kumaraswamy Layout police station, but no action was taken.
Justice Raghavendra S Chauhan dismissed the petition.