Over 20,000 polling agents brave heat to discharge duty

LUCKNOW: While more than 43 lakh registered voters enjoyed their Sunday break, at least 20,000 polling agents, including newly married women and govt employees, braved the sizzling heat at 42 degrees Celsius at Smriti Upvan to collect electronic voting machines (EVMs) and head toward their respective polling booths spread across 10 assembly constituencies of Lucknow and Mohanlalganj parliamentary seats.

According to authorities, around 20,785 polling agents were dispatched with EVMs and other items to 4,147 polling booths spread across Lucknow West, Lucknow North, Lucknow East, Lucknow Central, Lucknow Cantonment, Mohanlalganj, Sarojininagar, Bakshi Ka Talab, Malihabad and Sidhauli.

A woman polling agent, who did not wish to be named as she was not allowed to speak to the media officially, said: “Everyone present in the open ground is drenched in sweat and exhausted due to heat. However, election duty demands full dedication as it’s the matter of reaching out to voters and collecting the mandate of people to choose a democratic govt.”