India's election officials climb hills, ford rivers to reach voters

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Porters, accompanied by polling officials, carry election materials including Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) as they trek to reach a remote polling station inside Buxa Tiger Reserve forest, ahead of the first phase of India's general election, in Alipurduar district in the eastern state of West Bengal, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary

Porters carry Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) during a trek to reach a remote polling station inside Buxa Tiger Reserve forest, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Alipurduar district in the eastern state of West Bengal, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary

Stanley Mawa, 57, a porter, carries election material as he crosses a root bridge to reach a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A polling officer talks to a colleague after loading election material in a vehicle before heading to a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong, in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Security personnel sit outside a distribution centre before heading to a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong, in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

A security personnel, deployed on election duty, brushes his teeth under a double-decker root bridge after reaching Nongriat village, a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Polling officials carry election materials after disembarking from a boat as they head to a remote polling station ahead of the first phase of India's general election in the Majuli district, in the northeastern state of Assam, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Cornelius Mawa, 28, a porter, carries Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) as he crosses a suspension bridge to reach a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Porter Wilfred Syjemlieh, 24, carries Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) during a trek to reach a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Polling officer W. Moning Belgit Monsang, 42, carries Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) as he leaves a distribution center to start a trek to reach a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong, in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Election staff drink water from water jars at a distribution centre ahead of the first phase of the election, in Bikaner in the desert state of Rajasthan, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Amit Dave

Polling officer Wingstarwell Shabong, 36, checks for mobile network as he stands on a balcony of a remote polling station after reaching Nongriat village, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Polling officers and porters rest on their way to reach a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong, in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Polling officer and security personnel, deployed for election duty, play a game on a mobile phone inside a polling booth after reaching Nongriat village, a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Polling officers and porters carry Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) as they climb down stairs on a mountain to reach a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Denis Syiemlieh, 28, a porter, who was carrying Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), rests on his way to a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Wilfred Syjemlieh, 24, a porter, carries Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) as he treks to reach a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Polling officer W. Moning Belgit Monsang, 42, rests inside a polling booth after reaching Nongriat village, a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Vehicles carrying election materials move through Buxa Tiger Reserve forest to reach to a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of India's general election, in Alipurduar district in the eastern state of West Bengal, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel carries security equipment as he treks to reach a remote polling station inside Buxa Tiger Reserve forest, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Alipurduar district in the eastern state of West Bengal, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary

Porters Cornelius Mawa, 28, sits next to an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), rests on his way to reach a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Polling and police officers travel in a boat with election materials to reach to a remote polling station ahead of the first phase of India's general election in the Majuli district, in the northeastern state of Assam, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer

Polling officers and porters sit outside the polling station after reaching a remote village Nongriat ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Security personnel, deployed on election duty, sleep inside a polling booth after reaching Nongriat village, a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

A polling officer sets up election material along with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in a tempo for taking them to the polling centre ahead of the first phase of the election, in Bikaner in the desert state of Rajasthan, India, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Amit Dave

Porters and polling officers carry Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) as they trek to reach a remote polling station, ahead of the first phase of the election, in Shillong, in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India, April 17, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi