Marathon counting begins today

She also said that district administration has been asked to clamp section 144 of the CrPC prohibitory order within 200 metres around all counting centres to avoid crowd or any untoward incident during the counting process.

“Videography and CCTVs have also been arranged at all counting centres to keep a record of the entire process and track irregularities if there is any,” she said and added no mobile phones will be allowed inside the counting.

Meanwhile,political parties are hopeful of improving their 2008 tally.

The ruling Trinamool,which had won two of the 17 zilla parishads,five years ago,is hopeful of winning at least 12 of them.

“From two,we will move up to 12-13 zilla parishads this time. We are confident because we were not busy running to the court or the SEC,” said senior Trinamool leader and minister in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet Partha Chatterjee.

The CPM,which had swept the last elections,admitted that they will lose some zilla parishad seats,but will win more seats in gram panchayat and panchayat samity levels,especially in North 24-Parganas,Nadia and Howrah.

“There had been a lot of bloodshed sponsored by the Trinamool and Congress. Now,we are trying to ensure that the counting process is at least without violence,” said CPM leader Rabin Deb.

The Congress,on the other hand,feels that the party will do better in districts like Purulia,Jalpaiguri,South Dinajpur,Bashirhat and South 24-Parganas.

“I am no political astrologer,but wherever people got the opportunity to vote and fair election was conducted,we are hopeful of doing well. We expect to secure three zilla parishads this time,” said state Congress chief Pradeep

Bhattacharya.

The BJP,too,said results would reflect the party’s improvement in the tally.

“We don’t think we would win any zilla parishad,but there would definitely be an overall improvement in our results because a large number of youths have joined the BJP and they have lost hope in the Congress which is riddled with corruption,” said state BJP Rahul Sinha.