Thiruvananthapuram: The final results of the Lok Sabha elections will be declared by 7 p.m. on Thursday, according to Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena.
The counting of EVMs in all parliamentary constituencies will continue without break. Earlier, the Election Commission had directed that the counting of the last two rounds on EVMs would be stopped till all the postal votes are counted. However, as per the new direction, the counting of EVMs need not be stopped.
Following the EC directive, the CEO has asked all returning officers to ensure that once the counting of EVM starts, it should end only after the completion of the entire process. The counting of postal votes will be held simultaneously.
Soon after the completion of EVM counting, the VVPAT slips will be counted as per the norms laid down by the EC. Five VVPATs will be counted per Assembly constituency and a total of 35 VVPATs will be counted in each parliamentary constituency.
Meanwhile, the CEO received 60.97 per cent postal votes and service votes by Wednesday evening. In the two categories, a total of 1,16,816 votes were provided.
To assist in counting, 140 additional returning officers would be deployed, he said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi has demanded proper facilities for police personnel deployed for poll duty in other states.
The Chief Minister urged the Election Commission and CRPF to make arrangements for police personnel returning after poll duty.
The police personnel deployed in Bihar had harrowing experience while returning home. It is the responsibility of those requisitioning the service of the cops to provide better facilities.
The police personnel who returned from Bihar were not provided berths or seat. They were forced to travel in jampacked compartments.
They had this harrowing experience soon after discharging strenuous election duty for days together. The cops had gone to Bihar after finishing duties in Lakshadweep.
The Chief Minister said under these circumstances the police personnel should have been provided separate bogies. But in this instance they were not even provided berths. The chief minter urged the Election Commission and the CRPF to carry out a probe and fix the responsibility.
