May 16 holiday plea

This must be one of the most unusual requests the Election Commission has received. A traders' body has asked the Commission to declare May 16 a national holiday so that people can watch live updates of the election results without the interruption of office work. Traders, who are traditionally believed to be Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) loyalists, have been enthused after the exit polls pointed to a BJP-led government. In any case, the Confederation of All India Traders has gone ahead and made arrangements for live proceedings at various destinations across the country so that members can together watch the expected BJP/NDA win. Traders are certainly on a high since the BJP is opposed to foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, an issue close to their hearts.