The date of polling for the state Assembly election has left many school teachers disappointed, as it is clashing with their Diwali vacation -- the second longest holiday they get in a year. The state teachers association has written to the Devendra Fadnavis government requesting to extend the holiday for the festival. The state will vote on October 21, the same day the city schools are shutting for Diwali. Teachers are, however, concerned that they will have to put in one extra day for the poll duty.

"Teachers are the workforce for poll duty. Even though this is a one-day task, we will end up spending two days, considering our experience of the past elections. This means all teachers will lose two days of their vacation for the election duty," said Anil Bornare of Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Parishad. "We will not even get a compensatory leaves for the holidays that we will be working for elections. Teachers are already burdened with so many non-academic tasks in all government and aided schools," said one teacher.