All set for counting of votes tomorrow: Ludhiana DC

Ludhiana, March 8

District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said today that all arrangements for free, fair and transparent counting of votes on March 10 have been completed at all 14 counting centres in the district.

While addressing a press conference here today, the DC said an adequate number of security personnel have been deployed to ensure maintenance of law and order situation inside and outside the counting centres and no stone would be left unturned for ensuring that the entire process gets completed peacefully.

He said votes of five Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines from each Assembly segment would be counted randomly after the counting of votes from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

He said the EVM and VVPAT machines are constantly under CCTV surveillance and a three-tier security has been provided by the state police, Punjab Armed Police and paramilitary force.

He said the counting of votes would take place simultaneously at 8 am on March 10 in all the 14 counting centres.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner also took stock of media rooms established in the precincts of the counting centres and said no one would be allowed to carry mobile phones inside the counting centres. He clarified that mediapersons would not be allowed to click photographs or shoot videos using mobile phones and only video/still cameras are allowed inside the counting centres. He said entry to the counting centres for mediapersons would be strictly through the identity cards issued by the Election Commission of India.

He said nobody (not even the candidate or RO/ARO, etc), except the counting observer, shall be allowed to carry a mobile phone inside the counting hall.

He informed that in the counting room a total of 14 counting tables (seven on each side) would be set up for smooth counting.

He said no victory procession has been allowed following the announcement of the results. The entire counting process would be closely monitored by the 14 counting observers.

For the Dakha constituency, strongrooms have been set up at Dr Sukhdev Singh Bhawan, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU); for Ludhiana North at Government Senior Secondary Smart School, PAU; for Ludhiana West at Gymnasium Hall, PAU; for Jagraon at Examination Hall, PAU; for Samrala at Satish Chander Dhawan Government College; for Ludhiana East at Satish Chander Dhawan Government College; for Sahnewal at Khalsa Girls Senior Secondary School, College Road, Ludhiana; for Raikot at Malwa Central College of Education for Women; for Ludhiana Central at Arya College, Auditorium Hall; for Ludhiana South at KVM Senior Secondary School; for Gill at SRS Government Polytechnic College for Women, Rishi Nagar; for Payal at Government College for Women, Ludhiana; for Khanna at Guru Nanak Dev Polytechnic College (Applied Science Building), Ludhiana; and for the Atam Nagar constituency, the strongrooms have been set up at New Building of GNE Polytechnic College, Gill Road, Ludhiana.

He said for counting, the Khanna constituency would have 14 rounds, Samrala 16 rounds, Sahnewal 21 rounds, Ludhiana East 17 rounds, Ludhiana South 13 rounds, Atam Nagar 13 rounds, Ludhiana Central 13 rounds, Ludhiana West 15 rounds, Ludhiana North 15 rounds, Gill 22 rounds, Payal 15 rounds, Dakha 16 rounds, Raikot 14 rounds and Jagraon constituency would have 15 rounds.

He stated that holiday has been declared for teaching and non-teaching staff and students in all educational institutions where counting is to take place on March 10. He said dry day has also been declared in the district on March 10.