All set for counting of votes in Vizianagaram

Vizianagaram: The district administration has completed all arrangements for the votes polled in Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies on Tuesday. District electoral officer S Nagalakshmi and SP M Deepika visited the both counting centres at Lendi Engineering College and JNTU University on Monday. Around 15 candidates are in the race for Vizianagaram LS constituency and 77 are in the fray for 7 Assembly seats. Nagalakshmi said that the counting would be started with postal ballots at 8 am and later the votes in EVMs will be counted.

Around 81.05 per cent voting was recorded under Vizianagaram Lok Sabha constituency purview with Nellimarla recording highest per centage of 88.25. As many as 1,97,38 postal ballots were polled in the LS constituency. A total of 147 senior citizens who crossed the age of 85 years and 85 physically challenged persons cast their votes at their homes. JNTU is hosting Vizianagaram Lok Sabha and Vizianagaram and Bobbili Assembly constituencies’ counting and Lendi College is centre for the counting of votes for remaining five constituencies.

She informed that each constituency will have around 18-20 rounds and count of the each round will be announced before going for next round. As many as 972 counting staff is deployed in various levels. Mobiles, cameras and smart watches are not allowed into the counting centres and the counting agents can carry a pen, pencil and a small note book.

Counting of each Assembly constituency will be supervised by a poling observer.

She said that the entire district would be under 144 Section and gathering of crowds and taking out rallies is prohibited. First aid centres are arranged at counting centres and basic facilities like drinking water, toilets, tents, parking is provided at counting centres.