Bhubaneswar: Political leaders and candidates are worried for the prevailing heatwave conditions in the State as many people prefer to remain in-door. If the people continue to do so on voting day, the leaders will face the consequences.
First phase polling for four Lok Sabha seats and 28 Assembly segments will be held on May 13. The Lok Sabha seats are—Berhampur, Kalahandi, Koraput and Nabarangpur, where the mercury usually remained little high. So, the candidates have chosen morning and evening hours for campaigning.
As per weather forecast, South Odisha may witness heat wave during the polling day. However, exact weather conditions can be predicted on or after May 10. So with such a scenario, if the voters chose to remain in the door on the polling day, the candidate, whose supporters will do so, is likely to face trouble in the election.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha elections were held in many states in the first two phases. There is a drop of nearly three percentage points in overall voter turnout in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections this year as compared to 2019, with the decline recorded in 19 of the 21 states and Union territories that voted on last Friday.
A total of 69.2% turnout recorded in 2019 for the same 102 constituencies where polling has been completed.
Similarly, the second phase recorded an aggregate of 66.70%, which is a drop from 69.6% recorded overall in 2019 elections, although exactly the same as 66.7% recorded in 2014.
Keeping this in view, the Election Commission of India has formed a task force to review the impact of heat waves ahead of each polling phase as the temperatures continue to soar in several regions across the country.
The task force comprising officials from ECI, IMD, NDMA and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will review the impact of heat waves and humidity five days before each polling phase for any concerning developments and mitigatory measures, if necessary.
