Counting Of Votes For LS Polls & Odisha, Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections Begins

The counting of votes for the election to the 18th Lok Sabha began this morning amid tight security. The counting of votes also started for the Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and bye-elections to 25 Assembly Constituencies. The counting began at 8 AM.

On preparations made for counting, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said, around 10.5 lakh counting booths have been set up across the country. Each booth will have 14 tables. There are observers and micro-observers to man the booth. The Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar Officer said the counting of votes for 14 parliamentary constituencies is likely to be completed by 4 PM.

In Jharkhand, 14 counting centres have been set up across the state for counting of votes. Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar told Akashvani News that 16 to 27 rounds of counting will be done for 14 parliamentary constituencies in the state. Mr Kumar said the first trends is expected by 9:30 AM. Observers have been deputed to supervise the whole counting process.

In Maharashtra more than 14 thousand personnel will be involved in counting that will be held at 39 locations. The state had logged a voter turnout of 61.33 percent with more than five crore and 70 lakh voters exercising their franchise over five phases of polls. The Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency recorded the highest voting in the state at 71.88 percent while Mumbai South registered the lowest turnout at 50.06 percent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third straight term in office, while the Congress party-led opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A is hoping to upstage them.