India election: Will a 45C heatwave affect who voters choose?

Candidates are fainting, voter turnout is lower, and research suggests extreme heat could influence who people choose.

New Delhi, India – Midway through his address to voters in the searing heat of central India late in April, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari fainted and collapsed on stage. When he was revived a few minutes later, Gadkari returned to the podium, blaming the oppressive weather for the bout of unconsciousness.

Gadkari is only one among a series of politicians, election officials and campaign managers who have fainted or fallen sick in recent days, as the temperature in parts of India has reached 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). One TV anchor collapsed on air due to heat stroke, while she was reading out updates on a heatwave.

As India’s mammoth seven-phase national election winds its way towards the finish line, the country’s 970 million voters, 15 million election officials and thousands of candidates are grappling with a scorching summer that is forcing campaigns to adapt.

With voters reluctant to attend outdoor political events during the day, leaders are rescheduling campaign outreach efforts to early mornings and late evenings. In the eastern state of West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee advised campaigners from her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party to carry umbrellas, hats and drinking water while making door-to-door visits. Others are trying to stay cool with coconut water.

“It’s unbearable heat. It has become extremely difficult to campaign under a blazing sun,’’ said Rabindra Narayan Behera, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate for the Jajpur constituency in Odisha. The BJP is in power nationally and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is aiming for a third consecutive term in office.