With over a month-long hectic six-phase polling for 80 lok Sabha constituencies, highest in the country, completed successfully, the Election Commission has now geared itself to hold the process of counting of votes on coming Friday from 8 am onwards. Fate of 1,288 candidates including 125 women would be decided in the counting of 1,91,421 Electronic Voting Machines(EVMs) in the State.
The entire counting process will be done under the strict monitoring of the Central observers and security of the Central forces. There would be three-tier security system at the counting centres and none would be allowed inside without valid passes. The first result from UP is expected to come from Baghpat and Kanpur seats followed by Kairana, Muzaffarnagar and Nagina where the polling booths are lesser than the other constituencies.
Rashtriya lok Dal president and Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Union Coal Minister Shriprakash Jaiswal’s results would be declared first as they are contesting from Baghpat and Kanpur respectively. However, results of the constituencies like Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur, Unnao, Jalaun and Sant Kabirnagar seats could be declared at the end as there are highest number of booths. The result of the VVIP Varanasi seat where BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi is contesting could be delayed as there are 3 balloting units of the EVMs due to 42 candidates in the fray.
EC sources confirmed here on Wednesday that there would be 76 counting centers in 75 districts and the trends would start pouring in immediately. The counting personnel will first take up the postal ballots and then the EVMs. The first result is expected by 12 noon while the results of all 80 seats would be announced by late afternoon after taking prior approval from the EC. Baghpat lok Sabha seat has the lowest number of 1,456 polling booths followed by Kanpur seat which has just 1,490 booths. Ghaziabad seat has the highest number of 2,237 booths followed by Shahjahanpur of 2,234 booths and then Unnao seat where there are 2,197 booths and then Jaulan 2,193 booths and Sant Kabirnagar seat which has 2,083 booths.
“There would be 16 tables in each counting centres and the actual rounds of counting would be decided on the number of booths and it will take around six hours to complete the counting process in each of the seats,” sources said. This time, the EC has directed the district returning officers to declare the trends after every round of counting. Each round would take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. EC would also go for webcasting of live proceedings of counting of vote in UP. live webcasting has been done extensively in this lok Sabha election to provide the public a view of the fairness of the polling. live webcasting/broadcasting is an event made live over the internet or the world-wide-web through the use of the streaming technology.
The BJP has apprehended rigging by the ruling Samajwadi Party during the counting process and has demanded from the EC to deploy Central security forces and Central counting personnel at all the counting centres in UP. The party has already charged the Akhilesh Yadav Government for large-scale rigging during the six phases polling in the State particularly in Ferozabad, Mainpuri, Azamgarh, Kannauj, Badaun and Etawah seats.