Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday appealed to employers across the state to grant paid leave to workers from Kerala so they can travel home and vote in the upcoming Kerala local body elections.

The elections are scheduled for December 9 and 11.

Shivakumar, who also serves as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, said that a significant population of Kerala residents live and work in Bengaluru and other districts of Karnataka, and stressed the responsibility to support their democratic right to vote.

He urged companies, schools, colleges, commercial establishments, hotels, contractors, construction firms, builders, shop owners and other business operators to provide a minimum of three days of paid leave for eligible voters.

According to Shivakumar, this measure would allow thousands of Kerala-origin workers and employees in Karnataka to travel home and cast their vote without financial burden or loss of wages. He called for full cooperation from all employers to facilitate maximum participation in the Kerala local body elections and strengthen the democratic process.

PTI inputs