Indians vote early in fifth phase of polls to avoid blistering heat

Rinchen, 23, a first time voter, showing her inked finger outside the unique polling station Ladakh's remote Warshi village, home to just one family and five eligible voters, in the Ladakh region, India, May 20, 2024, REUTERS/Sharafat Ali

MUMBAI/BHUBANESWAR (Reuters) -Indians voted on Monday in the fifth phase of mammoth general elections, with film actors and sports celebrities among the thousands who turned out early in a bid to avoid scorching afternoon heat in the financial hub of Mumbai.

Three hours before voting closed, about 48% of voters had cast ballots in Monday's phase of the world's largest election, which began on April 19, as weather officials warned of more days of heatwaves than usual through the torrid summer.