North Andhra Readies For Municipal Vote Count; Phones Barred At Centres
113 counting halls, 1,507 tables set up at Andhra University for GVMC results
Visakhapatnam:Authorities have completed arrangements across North Andhra for counting votes polled in the municipal and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) elections, with a focus on transparency, security and compliance with Election Commission guidelines.
District collector and election officer M. Abishikth Kishore said mobile phones would not be allowed inside counting centres, except for counting hall supervisors and tabulation officials. Deposit counters had been arranged for safe storage of phones. He directed officials to provide regular updates to the media and ensure transparency throughout the process.
The collector, along with commissioner of police Shankhabrata Bagchi, GVMC commissioner Ketan Garg and other senior officials, reviewed the arrangements at Andhra University, where GVMC votes will be counted on Tuesday.
A total of 113 counting halls have been set up across 10 blocks on the AU campus, with 1,507 counting tables and nearly 5,000 personnel deployed. Officials expect to complete the counting in no more than two rounds.
Strong rooms will be opened at 6 am in the presence of candidates and their agents. Counting of postal ballots and ballot papers will begin at 8 am. Officials have been asked to coordinate continuously from the opening of the strong rooms until the results are declared. Separate entry and exit points, waiting areas and verification procedures have also been arranged.
Similar arrangements have been completed in Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Parvathipuram Manyam districts. Counting centres have been set up adjacent to strong rooms in Vizianagaram Corporation, Bobbili Municipality and Nellimarla Nagar Panchayat.
Section 144 will be in force around all counting venues, and the proceedings at every counting table will be video-recorded.
In Srikakulam district, officials have finalised room-wise and round-wise plans for Palasa-Kasibugga and Ichchapuram municipalities.
District election officer N. Prabhakar Reddy directed officials in Parvathipuram Manyam to maintain strict security, prevent violations of the Model Code of Conduct and ensure uninterrupted counting until the results are declared.
