THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, June 3: Conceding to the INDI Alliance’s demand, the Election Commission today said that postal ballots will be counted first and thereafter, the counting of EVM votes will begin at 8:30 am.
Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar today said that the counting of votes of 14 parliamentary constituencies of Jharkhand will be done at 14 centres. All preparations for counting have been completed. Counting will start at 8 am on Tuesday.
He said that under the rules of the Election Commission of India, no communication device would be allowed inside the counting centre. “If the agent who went inside the counting centre leaves the campus of the counting centre even once, he will not be able to go inside again,” he said.
He said that the weather forecast states that the temperature in Palamu and Chatra is likely to remain around 44 degrees during the counting of votes. There is a forecast of rain in Kolhan in the afternoon.
He said that the counting of votes will be done in Chatra and Koderma in a maximum of 27 rounds. The counting of votes will be done in Khunti in a minimum of 16 rounds. Similarly, the counting of votes will be done in 26 rounds in Godda, 25 in Hazaribagh and Dhanbad, 24 in Dumka and Singhbhum, 23 in Rajmahal, 22 in Palamu, 21 in Jamshedpur, 20 in Ranchi and Lohardaga and 19 in Giridih.
465 tables have been made for counting of postal ballots. The counting of EVM votes will be done on 1492 tables. He said that counting votes for the Gandey assembly by-election will be done in 24 rounds.
He pointed out that since the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct, a total of Rs. 139 crore, 3 lakh, 9,542 worth of illegal material and cash has been seized in Jharkhand.
