All in place for counting of votes tomorrow

Hyderabad: All arrangements are in place for counting of votes for 17 Parliamentary constituencies in Telangana on Thursday (May 23).

The Telangana Chief Electoral Office has been coordinating with Returning Officers (ROs) of the 17 segments and AROs of all the assembly constituencies falling under each Lok Sabha for the last few days in this regard.

Training and orientation workshops have been conducted for the polling staff on how to go about the whole process, including counting of VVPATs and postal ballots, deployment of staff and security, instructions to parties, contesting candidates and agents.

CEO Telangana Rajat Kumar said that a video-conference was held with all ROs on Tuesday as a continuation to series of meetings conducted over the last week.

ROs were told to hold a meeting with all political parties and take their complaints and suggestions, which would be forwarded to the CEO office.

Rajat Kumar said that he would go through them on Wednesday and give necessary directions to ROs. He said he would be holding a press meet on Wednesday even­ing to give more details on counting of votes in 17 Lok Sabha segments in Telangana.

Strict instructions have been given to not to allow mobile phones into the counting centres, AROs being an exception.

Also, results would be declared only after VVPATs are counted. Results can be checked on the Suvidha App.

In view of the hot summer, necessary steps like providing coolers, pedestal fans, arrangements to give drinking water and buttermilk were also taken.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad District Election Officer M Dana Kishore informed that a total of 3,900 ballot papers were issued for Secunderabad Lok Sabha while for Hyderabad the number was 2,696.

The counting of postal ballots would be taken up in Prof G Rama Reddy Centre for Distance Education (OU) for the Secunderabad segment while for Hyderabad it would be done in Nizam College Library Building, Basheerbagh.

Counting of votes for Secunderabad and Hyderabad segments would be done at different locations for each of the respective seven assembly segments.

For Secunderabad, counting of votes would be taken up at LB Stadium (Musheerabad assembly), RBVR Women's College, Narayanaguda (Amberpet assembly), Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium, Yousufguda (Khairatabad and Jubilee Hills assembly segments), University College of Commerce, OU (Sanathnagar assembly), Boxing Hall, LB Stadium (Nampally), Prof G Ram Reddy Distance Education Centre (Secunderabad assembly).

For Hyderabad Lok Sabha, counting of votes will be taken up at GHMC Indoor Stadium, Amberpet (Malakpet assembly), Government Polytechnic College, Masab Tank (Karwan), Women's College, Koti (Goshamahal), Kamala Nehru Polytechnic College, Exhibition Grounds-Nampally (Charminar Assembly), Nizam College Library Building (Chandrayangutta), Sarojini Naidu Vanita Mahavidyalaya, Nampally (Yakutpura), Sankethika Vidya Bhavan, Masab Tank (Bahadurpur Assembly).

Meanwhile, counting for the entire Malkajgiri Lok Sabha segment would be taken up at different blocks in Holy Marie Institute of Science and Technology, Keesara.

Medchal RO had asked contesting candidates and election agents to be present in Holy Marie College at 6 am on May 23 for the opening of the strong room where EVMs and VVPATs stored.

Counting for the Chevella Lok Sabha segment would be taken up in Vijaya Krishna Institute of Engineering and Technology, Palamakula, Shamshabad.

Counting of votes for all seven assembly segments under Chevella would be taken up in this same college.