Amid allegations and counter-allegations from candidates and political parties over EVM functioning, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is taking no chances as more than 40,000 personnel will be deployed at 37 centres, where counting of votes will be conducted for the Gujarat Assembly polls on Monday.
Apart from 20,000 officials for counting of votes from EVMs, there would be more than 20,000 security personnel to ensure peaceful process across all centres. Gujarat’s Chief Election Officer BB Swain said the counting process will begin at 8 am on Monday for all 182 Assembly constituencies across 33 districts of Gujarat.
In Ahmedabad, the counting will take place at three venues while Surat and Anand districts will have two centres each for the process, said Swain.
According to him, there would be 14 tables for each Assembly constituency where votes would be counted from EVMs. Every table will have one supervisor, one counting assistant, and one micro observer.
For the first time in the history of elections in the country, Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were used. VVPAT slips from any one booth selected through randomisation will be counted.
Counting will be done under strict surveillance. Element of technology is set to add more transparency in the counting process as apart from an observer at each Assembly seat, there will be webcast of entire process across 182 Assembly seats, so that authorities, including the ECI, State election office and district authorities, can watch the counting live.
“There will be three-layered security checks at counting centres. Mobiles or any other electronic gadgets will not be allowed inside counting centres,’’ said Swain, adding that one-time password (OTP) will be provided to returning officers responsible for handling EVMs for counting.
Their mobile phone numbers would be linked to the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot Paper System (ETPBS), he said. Counting process would be initiated only after the OTP authentication of EVM, he added.
Meanwhile, adhering to the order of ECI, re-polling of 16 booths across 12 Assembly constituencies was conducted on Sunday. Polling had taken place on all these booths on Thursday as part of the second phase of Gujarat Assembly polls. Result of all these booths will be declared on Monday along with their respective constituencies.