Telangana Civic Polls: Prohibitory Order at Counting Centers

Hyderabad: Following counting of votes for the civic elections will begin at 8 am on Friday for seven municipal corporations and 116 municipalies, and all arrangements were in place, the State Election Commission said on Thursday. Police said they had provided three layers of security at the strong rooms and counting centres in 32 districts where counting will be held. Besides, prohibitory orders are in place.

State Election Commissioner I. Rani Kumudini said that only counting supervisors, assistants, candidates and their election agents and counting agents will be allowed inside the counting halls. Mobile phones and electronic gadgets are prohibited.

“Webcasting arrangements have been made in all the counting centers and outside strong rooms. Initially counting of postal ballots will be taken up. After completion of postal votes, regular ballot papers will be taken up for counting. All ballot boxes of a ward are brought one by one to the counting table," the commissioner said.

Explaining the process, Rani Kumudini said ballot papers of polling stations would be bundled into sets of 25. If leftover ballots were fewer than 25, they are made into a separate bundle and labelled with the count. The bundles of all polling stations of the ward will be placed in a drum and mixed. After mixing, detailed scrutiny begins and, in each round, 1,000 ballots (40 bundles × 25 ballots) are randomly taken from the drum and sent to each counting table.

According to the state election commission, valid votes, doubtful votes and those case for NOTA would be bundled separately, 100 to a bundle. Candidate-wise totals and doubtful votes are recorded in the counting sheet and signed by the counting Supervisor.

Police said strict security has been arranged at the strong rooms and counting centres with armed police and civil police, and continuous surveillance was being carried out at the entry and exit points through CCTV cameras.

The officials take strict measures to prevent unauthorised persons from reaching the centres. Candidates and their agents should park vehicles in the places indicated by the police.

The contested candidates and election agents attending the counting center must have identity cards issued by the District Election Officer. It is completely prohibited to bring matches, lighters, ink bottles, explosives or any other items that pose a threat to security into the counting center.