Hyderabad: Mobile phones, entry and exit of counting officers barred

Hyderabad: The counting of votes to decide the fate of 1,821 candidates who contested the December 7 state Assembly elections will begin from 8 am Tuesday across all 119 Assembly constituencies.

At each centre, a counting supervisor and assistant authorised by the Election Commission of India will be deployed. Public servants on duty and election agents will be allowed inside the counting rooms.

Each centre will have 14 tables and additionally 15 tables for the returning officers.

Strict instructions have been given to agents not to allow mobile phones inside the counting centre.

No agent appointed for counting duty will be allowed to step outside during the process.

The total number of rounds will be 2,379 for all assembly segments.

Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar said, “Each constituency will have round-wise counting based on total number of polling booths in the constituency divided by the number of tables. The total number of rounds will be 2,379 for all segments.”

He said the lowest at 15 rounds is in Bellampally and the highest 42 is in Serilingampally. After completion of counting of each round, the results will be announced by the returning officer and we will subsequently declare the results.

The election commission has appointed 3,360 counting staff and 1,916 micro observers.

The counting of postal votes will be taken up initially in the presence of observers.