With the Election Commission announcing that the Lok Sabha polls will be held in Uttar Pradesh in six phases in April-May, when the summer is at its peak, political parties are thinking of ways to ensure that people will come out to vote despite the scorching heat.
The state, which has the highest number of LS constituencies and is therefore crucial for national parties, will go to the polls on April 10, April 17, April 24, April 30, May 7 and May 12.
If the summer heat affects voter turnout, it will likely hit parties such as the Congress and BJP the most.
Conversely, regional parties such as the SP and BSP, whose voters are mostly people belonging to low-income groups and lower castes, stand to lose less votes.