Results of the Assembly elections in four States — which concluded on Wednesday — are likely to be in by 2 p.m. on Sunday, as per estimates drawn up by the Election Commission of India. With counting scheduled to start in 129 centres across Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh at 8 in the morning, the first trends are expected by 9 a.m.
According to the Election Commission of India, the postal ballots would be taken up for counting first. Elaborate instructions were issued to the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of the four States and Mizoram — where counting will be taken up on Monday — on December 4, 2013 on how the postal ballots should be counted.
Since the postal ballots take more time to tally than the votes polled on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and are often contested by counting agents of various parties, election officers have been instructed to deploy a table each for 500 postal ballots under the supervision of a senior officer.
Of the 129 counting centres, 51 are in Madhya Pradesh, 37 in Rajasthan, 27 in Chhattisgarh and 14 in Delhi. All four States recorded a higher turnout this time round than the previous years; primarily because of the intensive campaign carried out by the Election Commission to get people out to vote and making the indelible ink mark on the forefinger a fashion statement.
