Election officials are gearing up to count the votes for the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats across the State scheduled for June 4.
As per the official schedule, the results of the Visakhapatnam West Assembly segment are expected to come out first as it has fewer polled voters (1,48,942) than other segments. The number of rounds (16) is also less than that of other segments. However, the results of the Bheemili Assembly segment may take some time as it has the maximum number of polled voters (2,75,747) and has 26 rounds for counting.
“As per our estimates for the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha segment with seven Assembly segments, the counting of the final round of a segment will begin on June 4 between 3.30 p.m. and 4 p.m., and it is likely to begin with the Vizag West segment. Voters are less here compared to other segments. Counting may continue up to 9 pm in the case of Bhimili segment,” an election official told The Hindu on Sunday.
There will be 17 rounds of counting for Visakhapatnam South, 19 rounds for S. Kota (of Vizianagaram district, but this segment falls under Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha), 20 for Visakhapatnam North and 21 rounds each for Visakhapatnam East and Pendurthi segments.
The counting process will start at 4 a.m., as per the schedule. Agents of various political parties representing the contesting candidates will be allowed into the counting room by 5.30 a.m., as per the timetable. Once everything is ready, the counting will officially begin at 8 a.m. with the first two to three rounds of postal ballots.
Visakhapatnam Collector A. Mallikarjuna has indicated on several occasions that around 500 civil police will be deployed along with central security forces at strongrooms and counting centres. As many as 176 CCTV cameras will be used for monitoring every activity during the counting.
