13 Lok Sabha, 86 Assembly candidates to test luck today

Eluru: District Joint Collector B Lavanya Veni said that all arrangements have been completed for the election vote counting process in Eluru district on Tuesday.

After inspecting the arrangements at the counting centre of Sir CR Reddy Engineering College, the Joint Collector said that the process of counting of votes will begin at 8 am. After the counting of postal ballots, the counting of votes in EVMs will begin at 8:30 am.

In the district, 13 candidates are contesting in Eluru Parliament Constituency and 86 candidates in 7 Assembly Constituencies.

About 17,500 postal ballots have to be counted in the district. There will be 16 to 21 rounds of vote counting based on the polling stations of the respective constituencies. She said that 869 staff members have been appointed for the counting of votes, including a counting supervisor, counting assistant and micro-observer for each table.

Cell phones and any electronic devices are not allowed in the counting hall. Separate parking zones have been arranged for counting officers, agents and media for parking vehicles at the counting centre. A medical camp has been set up to provide medical services in case of emergency and two ambulances are being made available. Even after the counting of votes, processions and rallies are not allowed.

There is a ban on the sale of liquor on Tuesday. There is a ban on the sale of liquor on June 4 and 5 in Denduluru constituency. It is a crime to send inflammatory messages and spread fake news on social media during counting, she added.