Hyderabad
Due to the heatwave in Telangana, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended polling hours for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on May 13. Voting will now be from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., instead of the original 7 am to 5 pm, to increase voter participation.
The ECI made this change following a request from the Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana and appeals from political parties and candidates. The extension applies to all 17 parliamentary constituencies, including Adilabad, Peddapalle, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Zahirabad, and Hyderabad.
The decision came after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that the heatwave would persist in most districts of Telangana until May 6. Because of the intense heat, political parties have adjusted their campaign activities to early mornings and late evenings.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS) won 9 seats, the BJP secured 4, Congress got 3, and AIMIM claimed 1 seat.
