New Delhi, February 23
Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the counting of ballots for the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttaranchal and Manipur which will be taken up tomorrow in the respective states.
According to Election Commission spokesman A.N. Jha, the results of the 117-seat Punjab Assembly are likely to come by 11 a.m. and trends of the 403-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly are likely to be available from 2 p.m. onwards.
All results are expected to be out by night, he said. The results will decide the electoral fortunes of 2,500 candidates, including Chief Ministers Rajnath Singh (Uttar Pradesh), Parkash Singh Badal (Punjab) and Bhagat Singh Koshiyari (Uttaranchal), former Chief Ministers Mayawati and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and the longest-serving Chief Minister of Manipur, Rishang Keishing.
Among the other candidates whose electoral fate will be known are former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and three former Manipur Chief Ministers W. Nipamacha Singh, Radhabinod Koijam and R.K. Dorendra Singh.
Counting of votes will also be taken up for byelections in seven Lok Sabha and six Assembly constituencies
Electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used for polling in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttaranchal and six Assembly constituencies in Manipur where the Assembly has a strength of 60.
