Millions of voters brave the heatwave to cast their ballots in India

Millions of Indians were forced to endure the extreme heat on the last day of the general elections, and voters lined up in long lines early in the morning in front of polling stations in the city of Varanasi, in the north of the country, after movement there was paralyzed for a week due to the heat.
Bindwasveni Devi was one of the first to arrive on Saturday morning to cast her vote. “It makes sense to go out before the sun gets hotter,” the 42-year-old housewife said shortly after the polls opened. She added, “The past few days were very difficult. We tried to hydrate our bodies and avoid going out as much as possible.”
Despite the early hour, polling station staff and voters were dripping with sweat in the stifling heat.

With temperatures expected to reach 44 degrees in the afternoon, voters wanted to vote as quickly as possible and go home.
The city of Varanasi, also known as Benares, is located on the banks of the Ganges River. It is a historic city and a thriving religious center and usually receives tourists from Western countries.
But the streets of the city, which has about two million people, seemed deserted at noon, as did the polling stations there, due to the high temperatures.
Dozens of people died this week in northern India due to the heat, according to official sources and local media, as temperatures exceeded 45 degrees in several cities.

At a polling station in Varanasi, pieces of white cloth were hung to provide shade for those waiting in the sun. Gallons of water were provided to voters.
Polling station official Kashim Kumar Pathak said he denied entry to a group of women who came at dawn to cast their votes before sunrise.
He added, “We explained the rules to them, of course, and asked them to come back later.”
“Everyone wants to avoid standing in lines in this heat and hopes to return home as soon as possible,” he added.
He continued, “It is clear that the situation is difficult, but we are doing our duty.”