SRINAGAR: After around month long election process, Jammu and Kashmir is all set to see some ‘surprising’ results as counting will begin here on Tuesday amid tight security.
Elaborate arrangements have been made for the counting of votes at 28 counting centers in 94 counting halls for the 87 assembly segments which went to polls from November 25 to December 20.
The counting will start at 8 in the morning in presence of 5000 counting staff and 2000 counting agents.
The tables on which the counting will be done are 700 in number and after every hour, the results of the assembly segments shall be declared.
The chief electoral officer Umang Narola said that for ensuring a transparent mechanism in voting, adequate arrangements have been put in place and during the counting process, no vehicle shall be allowed to get parked around the counting halls. He added that restrictions will be implemented around the counting and to control the activists of various party workers, additional deployment of police and paramilitary forces has been put in place.
Sources said that till 4 P.M, the results of all the 87 assembly segments shall be out. The results shall decide the fate of the chief minister Omar Abdullah, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and other 821 candidates who have contested from various assembly segments of Jammu and Kashmir.
At the beginning of the counting, postal votes shall be counted during the first half hour. At 8.30 P.M, the counting for other votes shall be held. For this purpose, at 28 counting centers, counting will be held in presence of concerned Returning Officers, General Observers and Micro Observers.
The Chief Electoral Officer Umang Narola said that the videos of the counting shall be captured and after every hour of the counting process, the results shall be put to fore. He added that the facilities of computer and broadband internet services shall be made available to counting staff.
For the eight assembly segments of Srinagar, the counting will be held at SKICC. The counting process will start at 8 in the morning and there will be 8 separate halls meant for the counting of 8 assembly constituencies of Srinagar city.
There will be no restrictions imposed in any area of the Srinagar on Tuesday, officials said
The voter turnout in all the five phases was the highest during the past 25 years in the state.
Though different opinion polls have predicted hung Assembly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is shown as a single largest party followed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
PDP, had 21 members in the 11th Assembly,
However Kashmir observers say the high voter turnout may throw up surprises as it is difficult to trace the priorities of first time voters who usually go against the trend.
The main candidates who are in the in Srinagar include the chief minister Omar Abdullah, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Syed Altaf Bukhari, Nasir Aslam Wani, Zafar Meraj, Shameema Firdous, Moti Koul, Abid Ansari, Hakeem Masood, Asiya Naqash and several others.
For Bramaullas 17 segments, counting will be held at three different places. The district administration has made arrangements for the counting for Uru, Baramulla and Sangrama at Degree College Baramulla. For Gulmarg and Pattan, counting will be held at ITI Pattan. At ITI Kupwara, the counting will be held Kupwara, Karnah and Lolab. At DC office Bandipore, the counting will be held for BandiporE, Sonawari and Gurez.
At ITI Handwara, counting will be conducted for the assembly seats of Handwara and Langate.
At Degree College, Kulgam, counting for 4 segments including Kulgam, Devsar, NoorAbad and Homshalibugh will take place.
Also reports informed that the district authorities Ganderbal have imposed section 144 in Ganderbal, Lar and Kangan areas wherein counting for Ganderbal and Kangan shall be held at Physical college Ganderbal.
In the 2008 Assembly Election, NC emerged as the largest party winning 28 seats out of 87 Assembly seats.
PDP was second with 21 seats while the Congress got third spot winning 17 seats, BJP, however, could win only 11 seats.
NC formed government with the support of Congress in the state and Omar Abdullah became the state’s youngest ever Chief Minister at 38.
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