All set for smooth counting: CEO

The Election Commission had taken all precautions, including security arrangements, to ensure a smooth counting process on May 16, said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) IV Subba Rao.

Represenatitves of political parties had assured the EC of their cooperation, he added. In this context he made it clear that counting would begin at 8:30 am (and not 8:00 am).

Representatives of the Congress, TDP, CPI, CPM, BJP, TRS and three other parties participated in the meeting convened by the CEO at the Secretariat here today. The representatives, who included K Vijayarama Rao and K Ravindra Kumar of the TDP, A Kamalakar Rao and G Niranjan (Congress), M Srinivas Reddy (TRS), Y Venkateshwara Rao (CPM), Chada Venkat Reddy (CPI), K Laxman (BJP) and others urged the CEO to allow victory processions with some restrictions after completion of counting. Talking to newsmen later, Subba Rao said he would confer with senior police officials on the matter.

Earlier, the Election Commission had decided not to allow any type of celebration or victory procession on the roads in order to avert untoward incidents or inconvenience to the people. On the counting procedures, the CEO said the poll personnel concerned would start bringing out the EVM control units from strongrooms at 8:00 am (on May 16) in the presence of counting agents, EC observers and others concerned. After placing the EVMs on the tables, candidate-wise totals and number of votes polled would be displayed on the EVM one after the other with a gap of eight to nine seconds to enable the agents to record the figures.

Actual counting of votes would begin at 8.30 am and the process would be completed by afternoon, he said.