Telangana Begins Civic Poll Counting in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Telangana’s civic election process enters its final phase on Friday with counting of votes for 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations.
Counting will begin at 8 am and results will be announced soon after, State Election Commission secretary Lingya Naik said. Authorities have set up 136 counting centres and completed all arrangements.
Postal ballots will be taken up first, followed by ordinary ballots. Ballot boxes will be brought ward-wise to counting tables. Ballots will be bundled in sets of 25 polling station-wise, mixed in drums and then counted. In each round, 1,000 ballot papers 40 bundles will be allotted to each table.
Votes polled for candidates will be placed in designated trays. Every 100 votes will be tied into a bundle. At the end of each round, votes secured by candidates, None of the Above (NOTA) and invalid votes will be recorded and signed by agents. The same process will be followed for each ward. Certificates will be issued to winning candidates after completion of counting.
In 116 municipalities, elections were held for 2,582 wards. Twelve wards were declared unanimous and polling in one ward was postponed. Polling was conducted in 2,569 wards with 10,719 candidates in the fray.
In seven municipal corporations, of 414 divisions, two were unanimous. Polling was held in 412 divisions where 2,225 candidates contested.
Tight security arrangements
Director General of Police Shivadhar Reddy said elaborate security arrangements were in place across the state. About 12,000 police personnel have been deployed.
Armed police and quick response teams will guard counting centres. All centres are under CCTV surveillance and monitored from the Command Control Centre. Access routes are being regulated and only pass holders will be allowed inside.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita are in force at counting centres. No gathering will be allowed within 200 metres of the centres and strict action will be taken against violations.
The DGP appealed to political parties, candidates and the public to cooperate with the police.
