Trichy witnessed significant disruptions in daily life on Thursday as polling for the Tamil Nadu assembly election took place. Several eateries, restaurants, and hotels remained shut across the city, severely affecting online food delivery services that many residents depend on.
Following directives from the Election Commission of India, the labour commissionerate instructed shops and commercial establishments, including food chains, to grant a paid holiday to all employees. Strict action was warned against those failing to comply. In response, many establishments closed to enable their staff to vote, while others scaled down operations due to staff shortage.
"All our staff members went to their native places to cast their votes. Some are expected to return only by Sunday night. It was impossible to run the eatery without them, so we decided to close for the day," said Senthil Kumar, owner of an eatery near Thennur.
The widespread closures created unexpected hardships for thousands of residents who rely on outside food. The impact was especially severe on bachelors, migrant workers, students from other states, and professionals living away from their families. Without access to home-cooked meals, they faced limited dining options.
For daily wage earners and those staying in hostels or PG accommodations, the situation turned into a minor crisis. "We somehow managed breakfast with snacks from nearby grocery stores and the few tea shops that were open," said Mohamed Aslam, a student from Kerala.
Eateries near key areas such as Junction, Chathiram Bus Stand, Gandhi Market, Palakkarai, Thillai Nagar, and TVS Tollgate either remained closed or operated with minimal staff, resulting in long queues at the limited outlets that stayed open.
Online delivery platforms were also badly hit, as most restaurants stopped accepting orders or had their kitchens shut. Customers who managed to place orders faced frustrating delays, with some waiting more than an hour for their food.
Delivery partners took around 60 to 80 minutes to complete a single delivery. D Lakshman, a delivery partner said, "The restaurants were overcrowded with walk-in customers, which slowed down preparations. Moreover, very few delivery partners were active. Hence, our work load became heavier."
