Srinagar: The counting of votes for the crucial 90 member legislative assembly started on Tuesday morning amid heightened security in Jammu and Kashmir. The counting of postal votes began at 8 am, followed by the votes polled in the EVM 30 minutes later.
The three phased assembly polls held after a decade concluded on October 1 with 873 candidates including 346 independents in the fray.
J&K Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pandurang K Pole said that 28 counting centres have been set up for 90 seats in 20 districts of the Union Territory.
In Srinagar, the counting centres for the eight assembly constituencies have been set up at Sher-I-Kashmir International Convention Center (SKICC). For the remaining 82 seats of the 19 districts, counting is underway in the respective district headquarters.
Pole said that all the EVMs were securely placed in the strong rooms of all district headquarters, after the polling concluded.
The CEO said that comprehensive security arrangements have been made for the counting and a three-tier security cover has been established around counting centres. This includes checkpoints within the 100-metre perimeter of each counting centre while CCTV cameras have been installed in all strong rooms where the EVMs are stored to closely monitor all activities. “Unauthorized individuals will be restricted from entering these areas and CCTV cameras have been installed at the main entrance and throughout the entire premises of the counting centres to ensure comprehensive monitoring,” Pole added
He said that postal ballots were to be counted first, followed by the counting of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after 30 minutes, adding that accurate information on each round of counting will be uploaded in a timely manner.
As for the process, the officer said that on the counting day, strong rooms will be opened in presence of candidates, their authorized representatives, Returning Officers (ROs)/Assistant Returning Officers (AROs), and ECI observers and the entire process will be video graphed. He added that mobile phones will not be allowed inside the counting centres.
"Counting observers have been appointed by the Election Commission of India to monitor the counting process," he said.
He said only authorized individuals, officials, or staff will be permitted inside and around the counting centres and requested the public and political party representatives not to crowd the counting centres and check the results at home.
Meanwhile, an advisory was issued by the Traffic Police asking motorists to avoid unnecessary travel toward Government Degree College Baramulla, where counting of votes is underway.
It said the vehicles plying on Srinagar to Baramulla and Uri highway will be diverted at Sangrama via Fruit Mandi Sopore, Ladoora and Azad Gunj, leading to Main Town Baramulla and Uri.
Similarly, traffic from Uri will be redirected at Khanpora Bridge via Azad Gunj, Ladoora, Fruit Mandi Sopore and Sangrama to the Srinagar-Baramulla highway.
