Bharatiya Janata Party's Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar has written to the Election Commission on Wednesday, demanding 2 hours of extension in vote timings in the wake of scorching heat and heatwave alerts.
Jakhar sought that polling be allowed from 6 am to 7 pm. Polling across the country is normally carried from 7 am to 6 pm.
The state is scheduled to vote on June 1.
In his letter to the Election Commission of India, Jakhar said, "With the final phase of general elections scheduled for June 1, Punjab will be experiencing an intense heat wave, making it extremely challenging for voters to cast their votes during the peak sunny hours. The intense heat wave will pose health risks, particularly to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children."
"To ensure higher voter turnout and safeguard public health, I, on behalf of BJP Punjab, request that the voting hours be extended to include cooler periods of the day and the voting be allowed from 6 am to 7 pm," the BJP leader said.
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