New Delhi/Hyderabad: The stage is set for the counting of votes for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and counting will begin at 8 AM across the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is eyeing a record-equalling third straight term in power while the opposition INDIA bloc is hopeful of springing a surprise and throw the National Democratic Power (NDA) out of power at the Centre. The counting of votes will bring an end to a marathon polling exercise stretching over 80 days.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has completed all the arrangements for counting of votes and a three-layer security tier has been put in place.
In Uttar Pradesh, which elects 80 MPs - the highest in the country, counting will be held at 81 centres in 75 districts under CCTV surveillance as per directives of the ECI and victory processions have been banned.
In Maharashtra, the counting exercise will be held at 289 counting halls and 4,309 counting tables by 14,507 personnel. Maharashtra sends 48 MPs, the second highest in the Lok Sabha.
Necessary arrangements have been made for the counting of votes polled in the election to the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana, with about 10,000 personnel geared up to take part in the exercise. The counting will be held at 34 centres.
In Kerala, counting will be held in 20 centres and the district administration has imposed prohibitory orders around the designated vote counting centre for the Kozhikode and Vadakara Lok Sabha constituencies in North Kerala. In Odisha, counting will be held in 70 centres throughout the state.
In Andhra Pradesh, the number of counting locations are 33 across the state, in 401 halls which will have 2,443 EVM tables for Parliamentary constituencies and 2,446 for assembly constituencies. Preparations have also been completed in Tamil Nadu where there are 39 seats and the lone seat in Puducherry.
The counting will be held in 26 centres in Gujarat, in Mizoram, it will be held in 23 centres. In West Bengal, where there is a fight between the BJP, Trinamool Congress and Congress, counting will take place in 55 centres. In Bihar, where the INDIA bloc is taking on the NDA, counting of votes will take place 36 centres.
The counting of votes polled for Haryana's 10 Lok Sabha seats will be held across 91 designated centres. Over 10,000 police personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth operations at the counting centres, Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur said.
Uttarakhand's Additional Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Kumar Jogdande said a three-tier security arrangement has been made at all counting centres with the deployment of 27 observers by the Election Commission of India to keep an eye on the counting process.
In the northeastern state of Assam, there are 52 centres, where counting will be held. All the other states are also geared up for counting of votes where the fate of the candidates will be decided.
