New Delhi: Delhiites queued up outside polling booths across the city from early morning today to escape the summer heat. Voting is being held for all seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi today.
People were seen queuing up outside the more than 13,000 polling booths across the seven constituencies even before the commencement of voting at 7 am.
The early voters included President Droupadi Murmu, Union ministers S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri, and senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The sixth phase of voting of the Lok Sabha elections is being held amid an intense heatwave with temperatures soaring as high as 48 degrees Celsius.
Officials are concerned that the high temperatures could discourage voters from going to the polls and standing in lines, in an election earlier marked by low turnout.
"There is a concern, but we hope that people will overcome the fear of the heat wave and come and vote," Delhi Chief Electoral Officer P Krishnamurthy told Reuters.
A 'yellow' alert is in place for the day in Delhi and surrounding areas, under which the weather department has urged people to maintain caution while stepping out.
The Election Commission has deployed thousands of paramedics with medicines and oral hydration salts at polling stations in Delhi. Voting centres have also been equipped with mist machines, shaded waiting areas, and cold water dispensers for voters who may have to wait in lines for hours in the sweltering heat.
The BJP won all seven seats in Delhi in the 2014 and 2019 elections and is aiming for a clean sweep for the third consecutive time.
The opposition INDIA bloc partners AAP and the Congress are contesting the elections in Delhi under a four-three seat-share formula. This is the first Lok Sabha election in Delhi in which AAP and the Congress have fielded joint candidates.