New Delhi:

The second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is scheduled for today when a total of 88 parliamentary constituencies across 13 states and Union Territories will go to polls. Dr Naresh Kumar, a senior scientist from the India Meteorological Department, spoke to NDTV about the heatwave forecast in the places where voting will take place.

Key battlegrounds in Phase 2 include 20 seats in Kerala, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, eight each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, six in Madhya Pradesh, and five each in Bihar and Assam. Three seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal and one each in Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir will also go to polls, on Friday as will the remaining part of the Outer Manipur constituency.

Here is a summary of Dr Naresh Kumar’s forecasts:

West Bengal

Several parts are likely to see a heat wave or a severe heatwave. A Red Alert has been issued for the next three days.

Bihar

Heatwave conditions are anticipated with both the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to be above average. An Orange Alert has been issued for the next five days.

Uttar Pradesh

Heatwave conditions have been forecast in both Western and Eastern Uttar Pradesh tomorrow.

Karnataka

Interior Karnataka will witness heatwave-like conditions for the next four to five days and an Orange alert has been issued. Coastal Karnataka is also expected to experience above-average temperatures, with a warning for hot and humid weather.

Kerala

Hot and humid conditions will persist in the south Indian state, said Mr Kumar.

Rajasthan

Normal temperatures are expected in Rajasthan. An active western disturbance. currently over Iran, It will impact weather conditions in Northwest India after two days.

The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections got underway on April 19 and the first phase covered 102 seats across 21 states and Union Territories.

New Delhi:
After a voter turnout of over 65% in the first and biggest phase of the Lok Sabha elections, all eyes are now on Phase 2, which will see voting take place in 88 seats from 13 states and UTs. The fate of many big faces will be decided in this phase.

Here Are Five Facts About The Second Phase:

New Delhi:

As the BJP eyes a third consecutive term and the INDIA bloc tries its best to stop it from doing so, parties and voters are not only having to contend with rising political temperatures but also a heatwave sweeping many states, which is seen to have impacted the turnout in the first phase of polls.

The voter turnout for the first and biggest phase of the general elections settled at 65.5%, a drop of 4.4 percentage points from the 69.9% seen in the same constituencies in 2019.

As many as 13 states and Union Territories are going to the polls in the second phase of Friday and what has got experts as well as the Election Commission worried is that there is a heatwave warning for parts of at least four such states – West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka – on that day.

Data from Bihar’s Nawada and Gaya Lok Sabha constituencies backs the hypothesis that higher temperatures, especially over 40 degrees Celsius, have an impact on voter turnout. On April 11, 2019, the maximum temperature was 35 degrees C in Nawada and the turnout was 52.5%; this dropped to just 41.5% on April 19, when the maximum temperature was 42 degrees Celsius.

In Gaya, the turnout was 56% on April 11, 2019, when the maximum temperature was 35 degrees C, dropping to 52% last Friday, when the maximum temperature was 42.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast a hot summer, with an increase in the number of heatwave days. With six phases of polling still left, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and the Election Commissioners held a high-level meeting, which was attended by the IMD chief, to take stock of the situation.

A meeting is also planned with Chief Electoral Officers of the states to take stock of necessary facilities like awnings, drinking water and fans at all polling stations.

States Affected

Dr Naresh Kumar, Senior Scientist at the India Meteorological Department, told NDTV, “We have issued a red alert for heat in West Bengal for the next three days. Temperatures in Bihar will exceed 40 degrees Celsius. A heatwave is expected in eastern Uttar Pradesh after 24 hours and in western Uttar Pradesh after two days. The temperature will remain hot and humid in Kerala too.”

The heat will be even more of a challenge in Ghaziabad in western Uttar Pradesh, which has seen a low voter turnout in successive elections.

Asked what was being done to tackle this, Abhinav Gopal, Chief Development Officer, Ghaziabad, said, “Adequate arrangements for drinking water are being made in every polling booth. We have done the mapping. Wherever this problem can occur, tents and other areas with shade are being set up so people can get a reprieve from the heat. Polling booths have also been set up in complexes so voters don’t have to travel too far.”

What Can Voters Do?

Dr Kumar from the IMD said voters can also take steps to keep themselves safe and hydrated. “According to the guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority, people should wear light-coloured, loose-fitting clothes and cover the head with a cap or cloth. They should keep themselves covered and not expose too much of the body to the heat.”

“Always carry plenty of fluids and water, and keep an eye on the daily forecast as well as advisories of the India Meteorological Department,” he added.