Private companies' suggestion: Show inked finger, collect salary

BENGALURU: Cast your vote and claim the day’s pay — this is the terse message to employees by some private companies across sectors in a bid to encourage their participation in the coming general election. The decision on pay cut is, however, left to private companies and the Election Commission cannot interfere in such matters, a top poll officer said.

Karnataka votes in two phases on April 18 and 23, each phase accounting for 14 constituencies. Human resources representatives of some private companies, who had a meeting with poll officials, have reportedly said if employees enjoy a paid holiday on the day of voting, then they must provide the proof — the inked finger — on their return to office.

The first phase of polling is sandwiched between holidays: Mahavir Jayanti (April 17), Good Friday (April 19) and the weekend. Parliamentary seats going to the polls on April 18 are Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru Rural, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru-Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur and Kolar.

Vote-and-seek-pay idea came from HR executives

The move is an initiative to encourage voting among employees in the elections. An official present at the meeting said the employees must show their inked finger when they come to work the next day. Joint chief electoral officer AV Surya Sen said the vote-and-seek-pay suggestion came from a few HR executives of private companies from technology and manufacturing sectors, among others.

The crux of the HR executives’ argument is that if the holiday declared by companies was a paid leave, then the proof of voting could be demanded.

The BJP, which has petitioned the Karnataka chief electoral officer (CEO) amid fears that employees may give the ballot a miss because of the long weekend, has been informed of private companies’ initiative to encourage voting in the elections. Spokesperson AH Anand said the CEO has apprised the party of the pay-cut move by some private companies.

The Election Commission has, on its part, stepped up efforts to sensitize voters of their responsibility in aggressive campaigns in government offices as also private companies.