As India gears up for the Lok Sabha Election 2024, scheduled to begin on April 19, 2024, several cities across the country are preparing for a temporary shutdown of banking services. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced closures in alignment with the election schedule.

Due to the RBI’s new list of holidays, the affected cities such as Chennai, Dehradun, Itanagar, Jaipur, Kohima, Nagpur, and Shillong on April 19, 2024. ()

The election will unfold in seven phases, starting from April 19 and concluding on June 1, 2024. Uttarakhand has taken a proactive step by declaring April 19 a public holiday, allowing residents to participate in the voting process without hindrance.

Similarly, the state of Nagaland has mandated paid time off for employees across government, private, and business sectors on the day of voting, by the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Tamil Nadu has also declared April 19 a public holiday, coinciding with the general elections across all 39 Lok Sabha seats and a by-poll for the Vilavancode Assembly constituency.

The voting on April 19 will be conducted across multiple states and union territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.

While several states have declared public holidays for the election day, the RBI has not issued a blanket bank holiday for all states holding elections on April 19.

Following election day, April 20, 2024, marks the Garia Puja festival in Tripura, leading to the closure of banks in the state.

Source