Rallies early in the morning or once the sun sets; arrangements for cold drinks and lassi for campaigners; a slew of instructions for polling parties that includes mandatory ORS packets and an appeal for voters to carry wet towels on their person — the Election Commission of India, political parties, candidates and voters have been preparing for a gruelling election campaign that will last for the next two months, all in the middle of a heatwave.

On April 1, Union minister for earth sciences Kiren Rijiju announced that several parts of the country must brace for an extreme summer with parts of peninsular and central India already breaching the 40°C threshold in the beginning of the month.

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“There is the projection of extreme heat waves in the next three months. All stakeholders including state governments have made elaborate preparations. On one side we know we will face extreme weather and on the other the country is going to elections. As the largest democracy and close to a billion people going to vote, it will be extremely challenging especially after second and third phases. We have to be prepared,” Rijiju said.

Even before Rijiju made the comments, the Election Commission of India — based on reports from the National Disaster Management Authority and the India Meteorological Department — sent a letter to the chief electoral officers of all states and union territories, warning of extreme weather conditions, and mandating a slew of measures.

“During summer, every polling party shall be supplied with oral rehydration salts (ORS) for their own use, as well as for any voter needing the same due to heatstroke. A handbill on ‘Dos and Don’ts’ in case of heat stroke may be prepared and supplied to each of the polling parties,” the ECI letter said. The commission also appealed to electors to carry “wet towels” to protect themselves against dehydration, and asked women voters to refrain from bringing children along with them to polling stations.

But already, in states across the country, the heat has been shaping the nature of campaigns. This is most evident in Andhra Pradesh, already in the grip of a heatwave.

Electioneering is doubly aggressive in the state because both state and national polls are set to be held on May 13, but the contest isn’t the only thing heating up. Heatwave conditions saw Chagalamarri in Nandyal district and Kaligiri in Nellore record maximum temperatures of 45.8°C, with temperatures in Kadapa, Bapatla and Kurnool all above 45°C on Sunday. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson N Vijay Kumar said most party candidates in vulnerable areas have been forced to abandon their campaigns in the afternoon. “They have been forced to begin early in the morning, and then resume in the evening. But there are certain candidates who are not hesitating to campaign all through the day, braving the heat.”

TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is addressing three to four public meetings in a day— but most days, there is one in the morning, and the rest in the evening. “He is 74 years old, but he is not hesitating to go to the people braving scorching summer heat,” Kumar said. YSRCP president and chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy meanwhile is touring the state in an air-conditioned bus, but frequently steps out to meet people and hold public interactions, but most of his rallies too, are in the evening.

“We have no option but to reach out to the people over the next month. Yes, the increasing temperatures and heatwave conditions are affecting the campaign, but we are touching the maximum number of people throughout the day. The toughest time is between 11am and 4pm. But we have become used to these temperatures in Rayalseema,” said YSR Congress party candidate from Rayachoti, Gadikota Srikanth Reddy.

In neighbouring Odisha, at least 29 places in the state recorded a maximum temperature of 40 degrees or more on April 5, with Bhubaneswar clocking 43.5°C. Pradip Majhi, BJD candidate from Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency that goes to the polls on May 13, said this election cycle was likely to be more difficult than the last one. “The election in 2019 had finished by the end of April (Nabarangpur voted on April 11). But this time is a literal baptism by fire. Yesterday, as I travelled through Malkangiri district the heat was unbearable. More than public meetings, I will focus on door-to-door meetings. In a time like this, the heat affects the elections in many ways. Drinking water scarcity could also become a huge issue when campaigning.”

Nikunja Bihari Dhal, chief electoral officer of Odisha said that he has appealed to political parties to refrain from conducting meetings between 11am and 3pm, and discouraged them from involving women, the elderly and children in their campaign processions.

In Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, where towns such as Naugaon have crossed the 40°C mark repeatedly already this season, Congress candidate Pankaj Ahirwar makes arrangements for cold drinks, lassi and water in the villagers his party workers visit with him.

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“I have ground level workers that travel with me and they are used to high temperatures that have even touched 47 degrees in previous seasons. But I have made arrangements to keep them healthy and I make sure I imbibe enough fluids,” Ahirwar said.

But for some like Ahirwar’s opponent, sitting MP and union minister Virendra Khatik, campaigning in the heat is something to be valorised, a sign of their political commitment. “We start our campaign at 8 am and end at night. We drink water and eat food with villagers we visit. The heat is nothing for us, and what protects us are our saffron and white scarves,” Khatik said.

(With inputs from Debabrata Mohanty and Shruti Tomar)