Experts cite heat, summer vacation as reasons that kept Delhities away from polling

Scorching heat, summer vacations and the voting day falling on a weekend were the main reasons that, experts said, kept people away from polling booths in the national capital.

Delhi recorded a voter turnout of 60.34 per cent, five per cent less than during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls which recorded 65.22 per cent polling.

Delhi Chief Electoral officer Ranbir Singh said the turnout this year was the second-highest in the last 30 years.

"It is never possible to compare two different polls, but in 2014, the elections were on April 10, which was not peak summer or vacation time. Even schools were open then.

"This time, elections were on a Sunday and with Saturday being a holiday, people might have gone on a vacation to nearby hill stations to escape the heat," he said.

Traditionally Delhi has seen low voter turnouts and the voting percentage would usually be in fifties. The city clocked the highest percentage in 1977, after the Emergency ended.

Former chief election commissioner of India SY