Counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections, held across various phases, commenced in the northeastern states on Tuesday amidst stringent security measures.
Election officials, in collaboration with central paramilitary forces (CAPF), ensured a three-tier security arrangement around the counting centers, bolstered by extensive CCTV surveillance.
According to election authorities, the deployment of CAPF personnel, under the supervision of senior officers, preceded the vote counting, which commenced at 8 AM on Tuesday.
The initial focus was on tallying postal votes, followed by the counting of ballots cast through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Election Commission’s Counting Process Oversight
Furthermore, the Election Commission appointed a significant number of observers and micro-observers to oversee the entire counting process, ensuring transparency and adherence to electoral protocols.
To adhere to directives from the Election Commission, authorities actively enforced stringent restrictions, including banning mobile phones and photo/videography within and around counting centers, thus safeguarding the process’s sanctity.
In Tripura, Chief Electoral Officer Puneet Agarwal announced that they were tallying votes across 20 locations in eight districts for the state’s two Lok Sabha seats.
Meanwhile, Manipur’s Chief Electoral Officer Pradeep Kumar Jha informed about the setup of 24 counting centers across 11 district headquarters for counting votes for two parliamentary seats.
In Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Electoral Officer Pawan Kumar Sain mentioned that the vote-counting process is underway in 25 counting centers across 25 districts, with over 2,000 personnel dedicated to the task of tallying votes for the two Lok Sabha seats.
Meanwhile, Mizoram’s Chief Electoral Officer, Madhup Vyas, mentioned over 2,000 personnel actively counting votes at 13 centers for the state’s sole Lok Sabha seat.
In Nagaland, Chief Electoral Officer Vyasan R. reported tallying votes for the lone Lok Sabha seat across 17 counting centers.
Meghalaya’s Chief Electoral Officer, B D R Tiwari, revealed that 13 counting centers, eight for Shillong and five for Tura, are operational for the vote-counting process in the state.
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