VVPAT count only when EVM figures fail to match: Election Commission

Hyderabad: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajat Kumar on Friday said that if a difference is observed between the number of votes registered on EVMs and on VVPATs, then only the Election Commission (EC) would take the VVPAT slip count into consideration. He further said that the counting will be held at 35 centres in Telangana state.

“The counting will commence at 8 am in 82 halls located in 35 premises across 18 districts in Telangana state. A total number of 1,841 tables have been assembled — 14+1 tables in 110 segments, 18+1 tables in the segments in the Nizamabad constituency and 28+1 tables in Medchal and LB Nagar segments in the Malkajgiri constituency,” he said.

Mr Kumar said 6,745 officials would be involved in the counting process, including one supervisor, one counting assistant and one micro observer per table.

Similarly, one additional counting assistant, two micro-observers, two office subordinates, two labourers and one district election officer would be deployed in every Assembly segment. This apart, 61 observers from the Election Commission of India (ECI) would supervise the entire process, he said.

Mr Kumar said four members would be stationed at each table in all constituencies except for in Nizamabad, where six members would be allocated per table.

As many as 20,000 polling staff would participate in the counting process. He also said that one counting centre had been identified for each Assembly constituency in Hyderabad. Mr Kumar he said that he was anticipating the results to be declared by evening on May 23.