Uttar Pradesh Declares October 19 Holiday for Mahanavami, Special Leave for October 23 Polls

The Uttar Pradesh government has declared a public holiday on October 19 on the occasion of Mahanavami, following directions from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. According to the order issued after his instructions, government offices, educational institutions and other government establishments across the state will remain closed. The decision aims to provide relief to people during the festival and enable them to participate in religious celebrations.
Mahanavami is considered one of the major festivals in Hinduism. Across Uttar Pradesh, the day is marked by Durga Puja, religious rituals and cultural programmes. Following the announcement of the public holiday, people have stepped up preparations for the celebrations.
Meanwhile, the state government has also announced a special leave arrangement for eligible employees ahead of the biennial elections to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council from graduate and teacher constituencies.
Polling in 11 constituencies across the state is scheduled for October 23. Employees eligible under the arrangement will be granted special leave to exercise their voting rights.
According to the Chief Electoral Officer, the facility will be available to employees who are registered voters in the relevant graduate or teacher constituency. The provision is intended to allow them to cast their votes without administrative obstacles.
On October 23, polling will take place in the Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut and Allahabad-Jhansi graduate constituencies. Voting will also be held in the Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Bareilly-Moradabad and Gorakhpur-Faizabad teacher constituencies.
The state government has said that the necessary arrangements have been made to accommodate both the festival and the democratic process, enabling people to fulfil their religious commitments and exercise their voting rights.