18th Lok Sabha elections : Decks cleared for counting of IMPC votes
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 25 2024:
All preparations have been completed for counting of votes of the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat.
Briefing media persons in the court room of the Imphal West Deputy Commissioner's office at Lamphelpat today, Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency Returning Officer Th Kiran-kumar said that the EVMs stored in a strong room under tight security arrangement would be taken out from the strong room at 6.30 am on June 4 and counting of votes would begin at 8 am.
Votes polled in 32 Assembly Constituencies of Inner Manipur PC would be counted in the counting halls of four district headquarters.
However, all postal ballots including those of service voters would be counted only at Imphal West, he said.
Votes polled at special polling stations, opened specially for internally displaced persons would be counted at the concerned district headquarters, Kirankumar said.
There would be nine counting halls at Imphal West district headquarters.
Votes registered in EVMs would be counted in seven counting halls, postal ballots would be counted in one counting hall while the ninth counting hall has been reserved for service votes.
As the strong room and the counting halls are separated by some distance, the EVMs would be transported in vehicles amid tight security arrangement.
Representatives of political parties may monitor this movement of EVMs, the RO said.
Saying that a three-layered security arrangement has been put in place, he said that no vehicles would be allowed within 100 metre radius of the counting halls.
Guidelines for counting agents who would take part in the counting of votes have been delivered to election agents of political parties, he said.
To avoid waiting for long time for election certificate by the winning or leading candidate and his followers, they would be asked to come to collect election certificate only when the counting is over and the result is confirmed.
The winning candidate and his supporters must come to collect election certificate only when they have received official information of their victory, he said.
As counting agents must undergo security checks, they must arrive at the counting centre ahead of the counting schedule.
Counting will begin sharply at 8 am even if some counting agents don't turn up, Kirankumar said.
Once the counting of votes is over, the counting agents must move out of the campus.
Voter slips generated by VVPAT would be sealed inside an envelop in the presence of representatives of political parties and stored in the strong room till the time given for filing election petitions expires, the RO told media persons.
If there is no election petition, the Election Commission of India would take up necessary procedure to dispose of the voter slips, he added.
Imphal West SP Ksh Shivakanta said that there would be three-layered security cordon forthe counting of votes.
The innermost layer would be guarded by Central paramilitary forces, second layer would be manned by State armed police and the outermost layer would be guarded by the district police.
Moreover, there would be tight security arrangement from Kangla Western Gate to the Imphal West DC office and also on other roads leading to the DC office including Iroisemba, MI Road etc, the SP said.
There would be restriction on movement of people from the Excise crossing onward.
Except those vehicles belonging to officials, other vehicles would not be allowed to move in front of the DC office complex, Shivakanta said.
For media persons and other officials, parking arrangements have been made at some places including the Excise office compound.
A notification on traffic arrangement in connection with the counting of votes would be issued within the next couple of days, he said.