Blazing sun fails to deter voters across Bengal

Kolkata: A large number of people turned up at polling booths in all nine Parliamentary seats of Bengal, braving hot and humid conditions on Sunday, whereas two poll personnel fell ill due to excessive heat.

The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore had earlier predicted that the temperature would remain on the higher side on the day of the final phase of election. The mercury had started climbing from last Friday in the city.

Along with the voters, the polling personnel also faced difficulties in conducting polls due to the high levels of humidity. The MeT office also said that the temperature may continue to go up in the city and some other South Bengal districts in the next couple of days. There is no prediction of rainfall at least in the next 24 hours, the weather office added.

People were seen perspiring heavily while standing in queues outside various polling stations in Kolkata North and Kolkata South constituencies, during the afternoon hours.

Many polling personnel had gone to the booths on Saturday, a day before the final phase of the polls, with ORS and other necessary items to fight the heat. Voters were found standing in queues outside polling booths with umbrellas to protect themselves from the blazing sun.

Mathurapur (SC) constituency recorded 78.52 percent polling till 5 pm, with 77.77 percent in Basirhat, 77.40 in Diamond Harbour, 75.81 in Joynagar, 74.41 in Barasat, 73.05 in Dum Dum, 70.97 in Jadavpur, 67.09 in Kolkata South and 61.18 in Kolkata North.

Polling was conducted till 6 pm and latest data regarding the final poll percentage is yet to be compiled. The overall percentage of votes in the nine constituencies remained at 72.91 percent till 5 pm, which is expected to go up after the final tally.