Preparations have been completed for counting of votes which will start at 8 am at 26 district headquarters of the State on Friday.
The counting process will start with postal ballots followed by electronic voting machines (EVMs) amidst tight security.
State Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Kujur on Thursday said that elaborate security arrangements have been made for counting.
The Election Commission will monitor the proceedings at all counting centers through webcasting. Videography of counting process and activities at the counting centers will also be done simultaneously.
“If any candidate takes out a victory procession or rally before declaration of the result, the expenditure will be added into his account,” said Kujur.
The counting of votes of Narayanpur assembly constituency will be held at Jagdalpur since it comes under Bastar Parliamentary constituency.
Kujur said mobile phones and cameras have been restricted inside counting centers. Any person or public representative enjoying any type of security cannot be appointed as counting agent by the candidate. A three-tier security arrangement has been made for counting centers.
The Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officer will announce the number of votes obtained by the candidates after each round of counting. The Returning Officer will reiterate the instructions and provisions related to confidentiality of election process to all the polling agents and employee engaged in the election.
The Election Commission has appointed 11 returning officers, 260 assistant returning officers, 30 counting observers, 1385 counting supervisors and 1350 micro observers for the counting process in the State. The counting observers will randomly inspect the counting process of any two tables in each round.
As many as 32 engineers have been deployed at counting centers to deal with any problem related to EVM. Similarly four engineers will be deployed at centers to deal with any problem related voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT).
Media centers have been established at all counting centers and the media persons would be permitted to carry mobile phones till the Media Center only.
More than 1.22 crore voters have exercised their right to decide the fate of 211 candidates in the general elections held in three phases in the State.