MALAPPURAM : Sweltering summer gatecrashed the Malappuram bypoll party on Wednesday as voters stuck in winding queues to cast their ballots were left ruing the day.
People were seen gulping down water every five minutes to beat the heat. Activists of different parties turned good Samaritan and provided free water to the voters.
The scorching mercury, which hovered above 35 degree celsius, sapped even the booth officers and the police personnel deployed at the polling stations.
“It is unbearable. You cannot stand in the open for more than 30 minutes in the heat,” said Bindu C, a policewoman at an all-women booth.
Many voters, especially women, carried umbrellas as a shield from the blazing sun. The hostile weather also slowed down voter turnout in the morning, mainly in urban areas.
The initial lukewarm response from the electorate shifted gear as the spirited voters later braved the weather and left the comforts of their homes to exercise their franchise.
“In this humid weather, most people would like to stay indoors. But I wanted to go and vote. I have never missed a single election,” said Subaida V P, a mother of four from Manjeri.