KOCHI: With heatwave-like conditions prevailing in the state, the month-long election campaign turned out to be a gruelling task for candidates. Campaigning in open vehicles was exhausting with candidates being exposed to the sun and a hot wind. Most candidates scheduled their campaigns in open vehicles during the morning and evening hours and focused on visits to institutions and houses in the afternoon.
With heat and humidity causing health issues, to avoid dehydration, the candidates preferred light and vegetarian food, drinking plenty of water.
“The southern districts have received isolated showers, which helped bring down the temperature. But the situation in north Kerala, especially Palakkad, Malappuram and Kannur, remains tough,” said Cusat Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research director S Abhilash.
“Campaigning in an open jeep was a tough task as hot air was blowing on our faces for hours together, the open-jeep campaigning extended from early morning to 3pm, for the past three weeks. The extreme heat caused rashes because of which I couldn’t sleep properly at night,” said Alathur LDF candidate K Radhakrishnan.
Campaigning was strenuous in Palakkad where the mercury has been hovering above 41 degrees Celsius for the past couple of weeks. “The green canopy in the villages provided much relief,” said LDF candidate A Vijayaraghavan.
“We rested under banyan trees and held small corner meetings,” said UDF’s V K Sreekandan. “As a Palakkad native, the hot climate has not been a challenge. For the past 28 days, I have been travelling in an open jeep throughout the day,” he added.
“It has been exhausting, but I didn’t have any health issue,” said BJP candidate C Krishnakumar. “I consumed plenty of butter milk and curd to keep the body cool.”
UDF candidate for Thrissur, K Muraleedharan too said the campaign was tiring. “It has been energy-sapping. The diet has been normal, but I drank a lot of water,” he said. The candidates fear the hot conditions may force some voters to stay indoors, leading to a drop in polling percentage.