Braving the scorching heat — with the mercury hovering between 44° and 46° Celsius across the Kalyana Karnataka region and reaching a maximum of around 40° Celsius in Kittur Karnataka region — people came out in good numbers to exercise their franchise in the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies on Tuesday.
Many came early to the polling stations to avoid the mid-day heat, resulting in long queues outside the polling stations during the initial hours. By 11 a.m., many of the constituencies had registered a polling percentage of up to 25%. The polling pace slowed down for a few hours in the afternoon but gained momentum in the evening. The Election Commission had made special arrangements such as providing shamianas to rest under for the voters.
The enthusiasm was palpable, particularly among first-time voters and electors residing in foreign countries who had flown down to India to cast their votes.
