Normal to below normal temperatures are likely in areas going to polls on Monday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Voting will be held in 96 constituencies spread across 10 states and union territories in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections.

While the usual hours of voting are from 7 am to 6 pm, they are curtailed keeping in mind the terrain, time of sunset and security situation.

In view of the hot weather conditions and people's reluctance to step out in the afternoon, the Election Commission has increased the poll timing in some Telangana seats.

The voter turnout in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections was 66.14 per cent, 66.71 per cent and 65.68 per cent, respectively.

The EC believes that the heatwave conditions are one of the reasons for lower voter turnout in the last three phases as compared to the 2019 parliamentary polls.

Citing the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, the poll authority said on Sunday that "there is no significant concern regarding hot weather conditions for the polling in phase 4".

The weather forecast indicates that the parliamentary constituencies going for polls "are likely to experience normal to below normal temperatures ( ±2 degrees) and there will be no heatwave-like conditions in these areas on polling day", it said.

In the last three phases, polling has been concluded in 283 seats out of 543.

For Monday, over 19 lakh polling officials have been deployed at 1.92 lakh polling stations for over 17.70 crore eligible voters, including 8.73 crore women.

Polling will be held on Monday in all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, five in Bihar, four in Jharkhand, eight in Madhya Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, four in Odisha, eight in West Bengal and one in Jammu and Kashmir.

As many as 175 assembly seats of Andhra Pradesh and 28 assembly seats of Odisha are also going to polls in this phase.

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