Scorching heat fails to deter netas from revving up poll drive in Hyd

Hyderabad: Withthe mercury levels hitting a fiery 43 degrees Celsius in Hyderabad, campaigning for Lok Sabha elections is becoming a challenging task for the candidates and political leaders. Candidates were seen using ‘gamchas’ and towels during their political rallies. Despite the extreme heat, they are trying to reach out to the voters with no other options left. Candidates are sweating it out, even getting tans.

Since the competition is tough, the candidates are engaging in full-fledged campaigning. Due to the heat, they are starting their campaigning early in the morning, and avoiding travelling and taking rest in the noontime. And they are continuing their padayatra in the evening hours holding corner meetings and public meetings.

Hyderabad has been witnessing a day time temperature hovering between 40 and 43 degrees Celsius. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in Hyderabad advised citizens to not step out of their homes between 11 am to 3 pm, in the context of the scorching summer heat wave in the state.

AIMIM’s MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was seen using gamcha, and other MLAs were seen using towels during campaigning for their party chief Asaduddin Owaisi. Asad Owaisi’s sherwani turns wet during the political rallies due to the extreme heat.

“No doubt the candidates and leaders are facing huge hurdles while campaigning. We are starting campaigning early in the morning and continue in the evening. We are distributing caps and drinking water bottles to the workers to protect them from the heat,” said a senior AIMIM leader.

During her campaign, BJP candidate Madhavi Latha was seen sweating profusely in the heat and was wearing a cap, pagdi and a towel to beat the heat. Her party leaders were seen distributing water bottles.

Similarly, Congress candidate Danam Nagender from Secunderabad was also seen sweating out in heat during his election campaign. On Friday, he and his party leaders were seen wearing caps during the door-to-door canvassing. BRS candidate T Padma Rao of Secunderabad was also seen wiping his face frequently with a towel during the canvassing.

The leaders said the sweltering heat has been ruining the crucial campaign time, as it is very difficult to come out on roads during day time. “To compensate for the lost time, we have been campaigning in the night hours, which is also turning out to be very difficult,” they say.

It has been observed that the soaring mercury levels are not only posing problems to candidates but also to the public during political rallies and public meetings. “Even during the evening hours, there is high humidity, and within minutes people are sweating up and seemed frustrated. In the evenings, corner meets and public meetings are also severely affected with the fiery heat,” said a senior Congress leader.

On Friday, under GHMC limits, Jubilee Hills was the hottest, at a searing 43 degrees Celsius.