Chief Electoral Officer, Jharkhand K Ravi Kumar today said that all EVMs have been sealed in strong rooms after scrutiny in a two-tier security system. The first level of security is the responsibility of the central paramilitary forces. The second level of security is being handled by the state armed forces.
He said that on the day of counting, the two-tier security system will become three-tier. The third level of security will be the responsibility of the state police. He was addressing a press conference at Nirvachan Sadan, Dhurwa on Thursday.
He said that a total of 68.95 per cent voting took place in the second phase. The voting percentage will increase further after counting of postal ballots. He said that the voting percentage in both the phases was 67.74. In the elections, more women voters have voted than men. Rural voters have been ahead in voting compared to urban voters.
He said that this time the focus of the Election Commission of India was on making the marginalized people a part of the voting. Under this, people living in forests and mountains in remote areas and leprosy patients living in isolation were motivated to vote in a planned manner.
In the second phase of Jharkhand assembly elections, all 57 voters cast their votes in the special polling station set up for leprosy affected voters in Snehpur located in Hansipahari of Jamtara. The polling station of the community building (362 "A") Snehpur Leprosy Ashram located in Mihijam was constituted as an auxiliary polling station.
He said that counting centers have been set up in all the 24 district headquarters of the state. Counting of votes will start from 8 am on November 23. First of all, the postal ballots will be counted. Counting of EVM votes will start from 8.30 am. The result of the first round of counting is expected at 9.30 am. He said that since the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct in the state, illegal material and cash worth Rs 207 crore has been seized so far. A total of 100 cases have been registered for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
