TPCC Leader Petitions for Extended Voting Hours Due to Summer Heat

Hyderabad: TPCC senior leader G. Niranjan on Saturday petitioned Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj to consider extending the voting time by an hour in view of summer season. The poll timings are from 7 am to 5 pm. In Moaist-affected places, polling to be held from 7 am.

Citing the IMD warning, Niranjan wrote: "We cannot expect the people to come out between 12 noon and 3 pm to cast their vote, which will certainly result in a low percentage of voting.”

He said that according a gazette notification several Assembly constituencies in adjacent Andhra Pradesh were having polling hours from 7 am to 6 pm. “In view of the hot summer and heat waves, we request the Election Commission to extend the polling hours from 7 am to 6 pm in all 119 Assembly constituencies in 17 parliamentary constituencies to encourage the people to come forward for voting and also to increase polling percentage.