Through video-conferencing, Election Commission of India held discussions with officers of CEO office regarding counting for all 230 Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the State.
It will be held on December 8 from 8 am. Chief Electoral Officer Jaideep Govind and Additional Chief Electoral Officer Vl Kanta Rao were also present on the occasion.
Secretary to Election Commission of India Ashish Chakravarti, commission’s senior advisor Noor Mohammad Khan and Deputy Election Commissioner Sudhir Tripathi asked district election officers to ensure total transparency in counting. The election officers were informed that counting of postal ballots will be started half an hour ahead of counting of EVM votes. Only the postal ballots received one hour before the counting will be taken up for counting. The election officers were also apprised of the commission’s directive regarding signature of gazetted officer on postal ballot.
Regarding commission’s directives about counting, it was informed that 500 postal ballots will be counted at each table in every round. The counting supervisors will fill up number of postal ballots in a form and provide its photocopy to agents of political parties and obtain their signatures. The commission gazetted officers should be deployed at counting supervisors and 2 assistants accompanying them. It was informed that micro observers will also man every counting table. Additional Chief Electoral Officer Vl Kanta Rao informed that a register has been maintained for sending and receiving postal ballots Vidhan Sabha constituency-wise and its photocopy will also be provided to political parties. At the meeting, election officers were also given about pre-randomisation.