Lacklustre Tirupati LS by-election: YSRCP upbeat ahead of bypoll counting today

Tirupati: The stage is set for counting of votes on Sunday for the Tirupati Lok Sabha byelection. Out of the seven Assembly segments in the constituency, three are in Chittoor district while the remaining four in Nellore district.

The way the polling took place and the indications are clear about who would win the polls, still it raises curiosity since it was a fiercely fought battle particularly between the ruling YSRCP and the Telugu Desam. However, the ruling party expresses confidence over winning the election.

Counting of votes polled in Tirupati, Srikalahasti and Satyavedu Assembly segments will be held at SV Arts College in Tirupati where the strong room is located. Counting observer Rajendra Kumar Patnaik inspected the arrangements at the counting halls on Saturday. Later, along with another counting observer Dinesh Patel, Patnaik held a meeting with micro-observers at SV University senate hall and stressed their key role in the counting process. The table allotment will be held following the randomisation process.

All employees posted for counting duties, agents of political parties and media personnel have to produce Covid negative reports along with counting passes. It may be noted that for the Tirupati assembly segment there will be a total of 28 tables in four halls having seven tables each.

Similarly, Srikalahasti and Satyavedu constituencies will have 21 tables each in three halls separately for both the segments. In Tirupati 1,43,220 votes were polled while in Srikalahasti 1,68,680 voters have voted. Satyavedu recorded a high of 72.86 percent of polling with 1,53,526 votes.

Accordingly, there will be a total of 14 rounds for Tirupati, 18 for Srikalahasti and 15 for Satyavedu. One micro-observer has been appointed for each counting table while another two micro observers are appointed for each counting hall to assist the observer.

Special arrangements were made at SV University auditorium on Saturday to perform Covid tests to counting personnel, agents and members of the media on counting duty. Between two counting agents one agent shall be in personal protective equipment (PPE).