The counting of votes would start at 8 am in Mahasamund district on May 16 and the trend would be known within an hour, officials said on Wednesday. The counting of votes for Mahasamund lok Sabha seat will be held at Mahasamund, Dhamtari and Bindra Nawagarh.
Assembly-wise 14 tables each would be set up. The counting officials will reach their respective counting venues at 6 am. The counting for Mahasamund lok Sabha constituency will be completed when the administration will receive results of four Assembly seats from Dhamtari and Bindra Nawagarh through email. District Returning Officer and Collector R Sangeetha will announce the result after completion of counting of votes.
Mahasamund lok Sabha constituency has eight Assembly segments spread over Mahasamund, Dhamtari and Bindra Nawagarh regions. The counting for four Assembly segments of Makasamund lok Sabha constituency would be held at the Agriculture Produce Marketing Yard in Mahasamund.
Similarly, counting of Kurud and Dhamtari area of Dhamtari district would be held at the Polytechnic college in Rudri and the counting of Rajim and Bindra Nawagarh of Bindra Nawagarh district would be held at Krishi Upaj Mandi at Gariaband.
The officials said the counting staff would reach to their respective counting centres at 6 am, two hours before counting. The counting would start at 8 am and the first trend would be known at 9 am. The counting would be complete within four hours, they said.
Candidates and their agents will be present along with the expert counting staff at each counting table. Special training have already been provided to all concerned in this connection. Three experts each including one 'Micro Observer' will be present near each table and they will provide every update to the election observer. Other two experts who will be present are one Counting Supervisor and another Deputy Supervisor.
The supervisor will open the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and announce its result. The Deputy Supervisor will note the result on the basis of booths and EVM numbers. From this note, it would be known which candidate has got how many votes. The Election Commission has ordered video recording of the counting process to maintain transparency.