Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar has acknowledged the tragic loss of 33 polling staff due to heatwaves during the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, a factor which significantly affected voter turnout. In a press conference on the eve of vote counting, Kumar emphasized the need to conduct future elections before the onset of intense heat, with the next Lok Sabha polls to be completed by April 2029. The commission plans to initiate the electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir shortly.