The counting of votes in the assembly elections to the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa -- considered some sort of a semi-final before the next general elections began on Tuesday morning amidst tight security.
The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for Tuesday's counting of votes by setting up counting halls for all 690 assembly constituencies in 168 locations and deploying additional observers.
Counting would be done in 72 locations in Uttar Pradesh, 52 in Punjab, 16 in Uttarakhand and 12 in Manipur and in only three locations in Goa.
Sources said that the EC has deployed additional observers for counting this time and several officials of the commission in Delhi are being sent to the five states for overseeing the counting process on Tuesday.
The EC has also ordered videography of counting process in each hall. It has, however, this time done away with compulsory videography of each counting table due to practical difficulties.
The EC has allowed candidates and their elections agents inside the counting hall; it has also allowed the counting agents of candidates at each counting table.
The commission has also made full security arrangements for counting. There will also be micro-observers for counting and in each round two EVMs will be recounted by the micro-observers.
The commission has recently modified instructions of video recording of the display of each EVM and its display on large screens for each table, saying these instructions were not found to be practical and it will result in too many wires in the counting hall which may get entangled, and also in many small places such large number of video screens are not available.
However, the commission has given instructions that the display of the EVM shall be shown to the satisfaction of counting agents, and if necessary the counting supervisor shall hold the EVM up for easy viewing of the display by the counting agents.
The EC has directed that round-wise result sheet be signed by the returning officer and observer jointly and round-wise result is announced loudly by the RO and written on a large black board/white board in the counting hall.
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