Countdown begins for counting of votes in State

BHUBANESWAR: Countdown has begun for counting of votes in the State which would be held on May 16. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday discussed in detail through videoconference with the District Election Officers (DEOs) about the security and smooth execution of the counting process in the centres across the State. 

Notably, counting of votes would be done in 159 halls in 64 centres in the State in which about 12000 employees would be engaged.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mona Sharma while briefing reporters here on Monday said as per the directive of the ECI, a district level meeting is underway where the officials, having any doubt, would consult the Returning Officer (RO) and Additional RO before the commencement of counting.

Sharma said they have arranged one hall for one Assembly constituency and Assembly constituency segments of the Parliamentary constituency. For 13 Assembly constituencies, two halls have been provided where counting would be done amid tight security, she added. 

Three-tier security would be put in place in each counting centre where no police officer or security guard of any minister would be allowed to enter, CEO office sources said.

The CEO said they would open media centres at every counting hall to inform the media persons about the instant results. Senior officials from the District Information and Public Relations Office would be engaged in the media centres, she added.   

In the capital city, the CEO has asked the Information and Public Relations department to flash the counting results on the screen at Jayadev Bhawan here.