The counting of votes cast in the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls began at 8 a.m. on Thursday amid high security, while the early leads show AAP in majority of seats though it's too early to predict.
The state's Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said that 84 counting centres had been set up across Uttar Pradesh.
"There will be uninterrupted videography right from opening of strong rooms and taking EVMs to counting tables to the counting of votes," Shukla said, adding said that postal ballots will be counted first and then EVM ballots from 8.30 a.m.
"Agra will have five centres. Amethi, Ambedkar Nagar, Deoria, Meerut and Azamgarh will have two centres each, and the rest of will have one each," he said.
Victory processions and rallies have been prohibited.
Shukla also said that 403 observers, one for each constituency, have been deployed and a three-tier security has been put in place at the counting centres and within a three-km radius from them.
He said no unauthorised person would be allowed inside the counting centres and people, other than ones belonging to the exempted class, would not be allowed to carry cell phone, laptop, calculator or any other electronic device.
The Assembly polls for 403 seats spread over 75 districts were held in seven phases between February 10 and March 7. More than 3.75 lakh voters exercised their franchise using ballot papers.
Goa
Counting of votes polled in the February 14 elections in Goa got underway here, a process which will decide the fate of 301 candidates who are vying for 40 Assembly seats in the state.
According to Chief Electoral Officer Kunal, counting of votes locked in electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be taken after counting of service votes and absentee ballots.
"The counting process will begin with the counting of service voters, then, absentee voter ballots will be counted, after which polling officials ballots will be counted. Then at 8.30 a.m. counting of EVMs will start," Kunal said.
"We have given training to all counting personnel and our observers have also come from the Election Commission of India for all constituencies. We are hopeful that our counting process will be over by 10.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. After that VVPAT mandatory counting will be taken up," he added.
Nearly 79 per cent voters cast ballot in the February 14 polls in Goa.
Exit polls have tipped a keen contest between the ruling BJP and the Congress and Goa Forward alliance, with neither being able to reach the magic figure of 21 in a 40-member state Assembly.
Manipur
The counting of votes for 60-member Assembly elections in Manipur began on Thursday in 41 counting halls across 16 districts in the state amid tight security measures and following all Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), officials said.
Manipur Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agrawal said counting of votes are being held in all the 16 districts and there are three tiers of security put in place in and around the counting centres and adjoining areas.
He said that the counting process began at 8 a.m. with the counting of postal ballots and the counting of votes polled in EVM would start at 8.30 a.m.
"To maintain Covid protocols and guidelines issued by the Election Commission, numbers of counting halls have been increased," the CEO said.
According to the election officials, around 89.3 per cent of the 20,48,169-strong electorate cast their votes in the two-phase election to the 60-member Manipur Assembly on February 28 and March 5.
This year's voting percentage is higher than the 2017 and 2012 Assembly elections, when 86.4 per cent and 79.5 per cent electorate had exercised their franchise respectively.
In all, 265 candidates including 17 female candidates of different political parties including Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, National People's Party and Janata Dal (United) contested the elections.
The results would clear the electoral fate of Chief Minister and BJP candidate N.Biren Singh, his cabinet colleague Thongam Biswajit Singh, former Manipur Chief Minister and Congress candidate Okram Ibobi Singh, NPP candidate and Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh, senior BJP leader Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Congress' Ratankumar Singh, Lokeshwar Singh, Saratchandra Singh, sitting party MLA Akoijam Mirabai Devi.
