Chennai: The Labour department has requested public and private sector undertakings operating in the Dr Radhakrishnan Assembly constituency to declare a paid holiday for their employees on December 21 in view of the by-election there.

“..the employers of industrial and commercial establishments, including public and private sector undertakings are requested to declare a paid holiday to all employees on the poll day”, Labour Commissioner Ka Balachandran said in an official release.

The bypoll has been necessitated by the death of sitting MLA and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in December last year.

Senior ruling AIADMK leader E Madhusudhanan, sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran, DMK nominee N Marudhu Ganesh are among those in the fray for the polls.