Techies step out of Technopark to cast votes in Kerala local body polls
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Election fervour gripped the city on polling day, and Technopark, home to nearly 80,000 employees across more than 450 companies, was no exception. The usually bustling IT campus ran with minimal staff as many professionals left their desks to cast their votes. Most companies followed employee-friendly policies in line with Election Commission directives, offering leave, work-from-home options, or flexible hours. Client support teams were allowed to adjust schedules without worrying about biometric attendance. Employees working for Bengaluru and Hyderabad-based firms also received 'civic duty' allowances, excusing them from online meetings to vote. However, some employees from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu chose to attend office, preferring not to travel home midweek. Many employees travelled back to their native places to vote, even though polling fell midweek, said Rajeev Krishnan, state convenor of Prathidhwani, an IT employee welfare organisation, who voted in Aruvikkara. He noted that only about 30% of those settled in Thiruvananthapuram from other districts had updated their voter registrations. For some, the connection to their hometown outweighed convenience. I shifted from Kollam to Thiruvananthapuram 13 years ago, but never updated my registration. Having a vote back home still carries value, said Vishnu V S, an employee at Technopark Phase II. Despite modest numbers, voter registrations in the Kazhakoottam constituency, which houses the IT hub, have been rising. On polling day, voters queued early at booths in Kazhakoottam, Karyavattom, Kulathoor, Chanthavila, Kuzhivila, and Poundkadavu. This is my first time voting in a local body election, though I have voted in assembly polls since shifting here 16 years ago, said Rakesh Rajan, after casting his ballot at Government UPS, Kuzhivila. He added that many of his apartment-mates were missing from the rolls. People checked the voters' list only at the last minute. I updated my name online and attended the hearing. The State Election Commission should have campaigned better to ensure inclusion. Others faced similar frustrations. IT professionals Suhail Seth and Nejma said they were excluded from the rolls despite voting in the previous local body election at Kuzhivila.
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