The Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana State, Dr Rajat Kumar briefed media persons at Secretariat. He spoke regarding the various aspects of the process of counting of votes on Thursday, May 23, 2019. This guidance from him was for the Lok Sabha elections held on April 11, 2019. Dr Rajat Kumar also provided clarity on the statutory regulations. He narrated the guidelines specified by the Election Commission of India regarding the entire process of counting.
Counting Locations
Counting of votes will begin at 8 AM at 126 halls situated in 35 premises across 18 districts. The arrangement will be with 1,841 tables with 14(+1) tables at each of the 110 Assembly segments. Extra tables have been set up at Nizamabad Parliamentary constituency @ 2 halls. And with 18(+1) tables each at all the 7 Assembly segments. Also including 28(+1) tables each at 2 segments in Medchal and LB Nagar in Malkajgiri Parliamentary constituencies.
EVM Errors will be Dealt
In the fray, are 443 candidates contesting for 17 Parliamentary seats in the state. In the first round of counting, postal votes and electronically transmitted postal ballot (ETPBS) votes will be counted. At 8.20 AM the first batch of EVMs will be brought to the tables and counted.
The Chief Electoral Officer emphasized that wherever there was a discrepancy in the total count of votes, there will be no fast rules. The EVM and the VVPAT slips, and the count of paper slips from the VVPAT machines will be held final. The recount of votes at any counting hall is at the discretion of the Returning Officer (RO).
Any request for recounting has to be submitted in writing by the contesting candidates. The election agents and counting agents will deal the requests during the time allotted for entertaining such requests. These requests will be forwarded to the Returning Officer, who is vested with quasi-judicial authority.
Any EVM found with the ‘close’ button not pressed will be set aside and the concerned personnel will inform the Returning Officer. The Observers present will also be alerted. The Election Commission Of India will be intimated of EVMs of this nature for further action.
Rounds of Counting will be uploaded on Suvidha
The results of every round of counting will be uploaded online directly from the counting centers through Suvidha. Suvidha is an upgraded and integrated portal. Only Returning Officers have been vested with the authority to make changes in the portal. Media centers have been set up at all counting locations. The display of results will be made on electronic boards placed at all media centers.
Security at all counting halls will consist of three cordons comprising state and central police forces. The carriage and use of cell phones inside counting halls strictly prohibited. Groups of 5-to-6 media persons each will be taken into the halls at specified intervals.
Khalid M Raza
