India’s extensive six-week electoral process resumed this Friday amidst a brutal heatwave, with millions of voters queuing at polling stations across various states. Despite the soaring temperatures, which exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is favored to secure a third term, called for a robust voter turnout on the social media platform X.
TMC has become totally disconnected from the ground realities. Corruption, bullying and poor governance is all they indulge in. No wonder West Bengal is all set to defeat them.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 26, 2024
People want BJP! Here are glimpses from Malda. pic.twitter.com/yOAFrHnkdu
The election, set to conclude in early June, has already seen a drop in voter participation compared to 2019, with last week’s turnout at 66%. This decline is attributed by some media outlets to the unusually high temperatures.
मेरे प्यारे देशवासियों!
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 26, 2024
देश की तकदीर का फैसला करने जा रहे इस ऐतिहासिक चुनाव का आज दूसरा चरण है।
आपका वोट तय करेगा कि अगली सरकार ‘चंद अरबपतियों’ की होगी या ‘140 करोड़ हिंदुस्तानियों’ की।
इसलिए हर नागरिक का कर्तव्य है कि वह आज घर से बाहर निकले और ‘संविधान का सिपाही’ बन कर…
This second voting phase spans several districts, including those in Bihar experiencing temperatures more than 5.1 degrees Celsius above average. Karnataka and parts of Uttar Pradesh, a crucial region for Modi’s party, also face similar harsh conditions.
To address these challenges, the Election Commission has created a task force to evaluate the impact of the heat on the voting process. Despite concerns, the Commission remains confident that the heat will not significantly affect the voting process, emphasizing ongoing efforts to ensure voter and staff comfort.
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The heatwave has not only impacted India but also other regions in South and Southeast Asia, leading to school closures in the Philippines and Bangladesh. It also disrupted a campaign event for Modi in Maharashtra, where Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari fainted, later attributing his condition to the heat.
In addition to the logistical and climate challenges, the election is also a crucial test for Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, who is contesting to retain his seat in Kerala. His party faces significant hurdles, including legal challenges against Gandhi, which his party claims are politically motivated by the BJP.
India’s Supreme Court recently rejected proposals to alter the vote-counting process, maintaining the current method of using Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) linked with a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT). This system only mandates the counting of VVPAT slips at a limited number of polling stations, a policy some critics argue should be expanded to enhance transparency.
