First timers and senior citizens beat the heat

Senior citizens and first-time voters stole the show on Thursday in parts of the city.

To avoid the heat, voters turned out early. However, long queues meant they had to stand for hours.

Sagar Sharma (96), who came to cast his vote on a wheelchair at BET Convent in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar said he has not missed even a single election.

"There were days where we used to vote with ballot papers. To overcome the proxy voting I made it a habit to cast my vote early. I have made my family also practise this," he told DH.

Sri Gauri, a first-year BCom student from Seshadripuram College cast her vote for the first time. She said: "During the awareness camp I was aware of VVPAT and EVMs. I felt the importance of my vote when I went inside the polling station. I felt more responsible after casting my vote."

Voters standing in long queues under the hot sun was a common sight at most of the polling stations.