The District Election officials in Bokaro have made elaborate arrangements for the counting of votes on Monday. The counting of votes will begin at 8 AM at Krishi Bazar Centre Chas, informed Mukesh Kumar Deputy Commissioner Bokaro.
The EVMs used for polling in all four constituencies Bokaro, Bermo, Chandankiyari and Gomia have been kept in the heavily guarded strong room at Krishi Bazar centre at Chas near ITI More. Counting will take place on 24 tables of each constituency at one go.
An average in 12 rounds for Chandankiyari, 14 rounds for Gomia, 15 rounds for Bermo and 25 rounds for Bokaro on 23 December, he said.
There were 75 candidates in poll fray in all four constituencies. One representative of each of the candidates would be allowed during the counting of votes, he said.
Entry of private as well as commercial heavy vehicles, multi-axle vehicles are completely banned in the stretch between ITI More and Jodhadih More Chas from 5 am to till the counting is over, said Kumar.
Entry to the counting centre has been restricted. Officials involved in the counting process, candidates and their agents, as well as media persons (authorised by the Election Commission of India) are only authorised to enter the center. Police officers are not allowed to enter the counting stations, informed DPRO, Bokaro.
Media centres have been arranged at the venues, while Apps will make updates available in real-time. The counting centres will have three-layered security. No vehicles except those of election observers and that of the District Collector will be allowed to the venues, he said.
Mobile phones have been banned from the counting centre and cloakroom have been arranged to store the phones of those entering the counting stations. On the directive of the Supreme Court, the final verdict on the seat will be declared only after the tallying of voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips with EVM count is completed – a process that is expected to take well over four hours per constituency.
The selection of the five EVMs in every Assembly constituencies will be done by a draw of lots in the presence of political party candidates, said an official.
ECI has directed us that after every round the tabulation, a sheet will be given to the candidates for their signature, he said.