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Journalism of Courage
More than 25,000 government officials have been deployed for the counting of votes for the October 21 state Assembly elections on Thursday.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dilip Shinde said a total of 269 counting centres have been set up for the 288 Assembly constituencies.
“Election observers will be present during the entire period of the counting of the votes. Closed-circuit television cameras have also been installed in strong rooms and counting centres,” Shinde said.
“We will video record the EVMs while they are being taken out from strong room for counting and then putting it back in the strong room after counting,” Shinde said. Adequate police protection has been given to the counting centres, he said, adding that Central Police Reserve Force, State Police Reserve Force and local police personnel will also guard strong rooms.
Another official said that a minimum of 13 and a maximum of 33 counting rounds would take place in the constituencies. “The 13 rounds will be in constituencies like Badnapur and Jalna, and maximum 33 rounds will be in Satara,” the official said.
The official added that depending on the number of the polling centres, 14 to 20 tables would be set up in each Assembly constituency.
“There would be one supervisor, two assistants and an observer at each table. Counting of VVPAT slips in five booths will also be done in each Assembly seat. The booths will be selected through chits in the presence of candidates or his representative and observer,” the official said.
The results would be displayed on Election Commission of India’s website and on an LED television outside Mantralaya. The results would also be announced outside counting centres, the official said.
The polling held on Monday saw a voter turnout of 61.13 per cent, a dip from the 63.20 per cent recorded in 2014.
The highest turnout, of 83.93 per cent, was reported in the Karveer assembly seat in Kolhapur, while the lowest was in south Mumbai’s upmarket Colaba area at 40.11 per cent.
