HYDERABAD: The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday increased the polling time for the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana by an hour in view of heat wave conditions prevailing in the state.
The new timing will be from 7 am to 6 pm as against the earlier 7 am to 5 pm. Polling for all 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held in the fourth round of the seven-phase elections on May 13.
The extended time for voting will be applicable in all the assembly segments of 12 Lok Sabha constituencies, while in the remaining five parliamentary seats, the timing will apply in only certain assembly segments, according to a notification issued by the commission.
The polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm in Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Zahirabad, Medak, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Chevella, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, and the Bhongir Lok Sabha seats, it said.
The new timing will also be applicable in five assembly seats of the Adilabad Lok Sabha seat, three of the Peddapalle seat, six of the Warangal seat, three of the Mahabubabad seat, and five of the Khammam Lok Sabha seat, the EC said in its notification.
The decision to change the timing was taken following a request from the Telangana chief electoral officer in view of representations received from various political parties and contesting candidates on the prevailing heat wave and its effect on voter turnout, the notification added.
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