Polling started in the 8 seats of Bihar, and the Met department issued an alert of heat waves.

Patna, June 1, 2024: Polling for the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections began at 7 am on Saturday across 8 constituencies in Bihar, even as the Meteorological Department issued a heat wave alert for parts of the state.

Long queues are seen at the polling stations:

Voting is underway in Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Nalanda, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat and Jehanabad. Long queues were seen outside the polling stations.

According to the Met Department, Karakat, Buxar, and Sasaram are under the grip of severe heat waves.

Temperatures are expected to hover between 41 degrees Celsius and 44 degrees Celsius, with humidity above 70%, creating extremely uncomfortable and potentially dangerous conditions, especially during the afternoon.

Meteorologist Anand Shankar from the Patna Met Centre said, “The heat wave alert was issued in Karakat, Buxar, and Sasaram. Apart from these, there will be hot and humid conditions in Patliputra, Patna Sahib, Nalanda, Jehanabad and Arrah.”

Voting in scorching conditions:   

Despite the heat, voters were seen standing in long queues early in the morning across polling booths.

Officials have advised people to take precautions while turning out to vote.

Anand Shankar added, “Heat is felt more during hot and humid conditions. This situation prevails in all parliamentary constituencies where polling is underway. We have advised voters to drink plenty of water. If they have to stand in queues for a long time, they should keep their head covered with a towel or umbrella.”

Also Read: 134 candidates are in the fray of 8 Lok Sabha constituencies in the seventh phase of polling in Bihar.

EOM.