Indians began voting early on Monday in the fifth phase of mammoth general elections, with thousands queuing at polling stations to beat the scorching heat in the financial capital of Mumbai and the sprawling states of Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.
The world’s largest election began on April 19, amid high summer temperatures, with the weather office predicting more days of heatwaves than usual through the season.
Votes will be counted on June 4, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to win a rare third consecutive term. “Given the hot and humid conditions, there could have been fans and better arrangements for the ill and those with disabilities,” said Sangeeta Rege, 46, a director at a health research organisation. She was speaking after two senior citizens collapsed at her polling station in Mumbai with temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius and humidity of 71 per cent that made it difficult for many, especially the elderly, to set foot outdoors.
