Chennai: The counting of votes for general elections to Aravakurichi and Thanjavur assembly constituencies and by-election to Thiruparankundram will begin on Tuesday at 8 am in three different counting stations, chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni told reporters here on Monday.
Three-tier security is in place at counting centres and the results are likely by afternoon. A total of 225 counting personnel have been deployed to initiate counting process in 14 tables. Each counting table will have a micro observer apart from counting staff. The micro observer will be a central government employee, the CEO said. In a statement, the CEO said that only a maximum of four persons could accompany the candidate to the office of the returning officer, while receiving the certificate of election.
Thiruparanmkundram will have the maximum of 21 rounds, followed by Thanjavur and Aravakurichi with 201 and 18 rounds respectively.
To ensure transparency in the counting process, the result of each table will be given to all counting agents by the counting supervisor. After completion of each round of counting, candidate-wise votes secured would be tallied and displayed.
The counting centres will be cordoned and only counting supervisors, assistants, micro observers and counting staff will be permitted inside counting centres. Persons authorised by the election commission, public servants on election duty, candidates and election agents will be allowed to enter the barricaded counting complex
The entire counting process would be videographed with CD recording for the custody of district election officers. A media room will be created at each centre. Only those personnel having ECI passes can enter the counting centre, the CEO said in a statement. Former AIADMK minister Senthil Balaji and DMK strongman K. C. Palanichamy are the prominent candidates in fray.
