Stage set for counting of votes across 20 counting centres in Arunachal Pradesh

Stage set for counting of votes across 20 counting centres in Arunachal Pradesh

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: The stage is set for counting of votes in Arunachal Pradesh with all arrangements is in place across 20 counting centres in the State where counting will be held for two Lok seats and 57 Assembly constituencies from 8 am on Thursday.

All arrangements have been completed and adequate security forces have been deployed to ensure peaceful counting of votes, Deputy Chief Electoral officer Liken Koyu said.

The counting of votes for two Lok Sabha seats and 57 Assembly seats would be held simultaneously in 24 counting halls across 20 counting centres in the State, Koyu said adding announcement of results would be delayed as voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPATs) are to be counted along with the votes in the EVMs.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has approved 24 counting halls in 20 counting centres for Arunachal. The state election authorities have set up two counting halls each for Papum Pare, Yingkiong, Koloriang and Longding counting centres.

As per a Supreme Court order, the VVPAT slips of five EVMs in every constituency need to be counted. The VVPAT will be selected on a random basis through a transparent lottery system.

“The QR code of the electronically transmitted postal ballot system (ETPBS) need to be scanned before counting of the postal ballots,” Koyu said.

Counting of votes would be held in seven tables each for Lok Sabha and Assembly seats while, in Tirap and Siang districts, there would be five tables each for Lok Sabha and assembly and for Shi Yomi district it would have six tables each, the deputy chief electoral officer said.

“For Papum Pare, Yingkiong, Koloriang and Longding, there will be 14 tables each for Lok Sabha and assembly seats as these counting centres have two counting halls each,” Koyu added.

The fate of 181 candidates including 11 women for 57 assembly seats in the state besides, 12 candidates for Western and eastern Arunachal Parliamentary seats would be decided on Thursday’s counting.

The EVMs have been kept in the safe strong room since completion of the simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and assembly in the state on April 11 last.

An estimated 73 per cent voters exercised their franchise amidst incidents of violence reported from Kurung Kumey and Kra Daadi districts.

The ruling BJP had fielded candidates in all the 60 assembly seats while Congress contested in 46 seats, the NPP in 30 seats, JDU in 15 constituencies, JDS (12), PPA (9) and one from the All India Party (AIP).

There are also 11 independent who contested for the assembly polls.

The BJP had already opened its account by winning three seats unopposed including, Kento Jini from Along East constituency in West Siang district, Taba Tedir from Yachuli seat in Lower Subansiri district and Phurpa Tsering from Dirang seat in West Kameng district.

IGP Sunil Garg who, is also the state nodal officer (Election) informed that a total of 45 companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) comprising ITBP, CRPF and IRBn along with over six thousand state civil police personnel have been deployed in the counting centres throughout the State.

Also read: Arunachal news

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com