With the stage set for the counting of votes to begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, the State election authority has set up 43 counting centres for taking up the process.
Hyderabad city with 15 constituencies has the highest number of counting centres at 14, almost one centre each for the 15 constituencies barring Khairatabad and Jubilee Hills, for which counting will take place at Kotla Vijayabhasker Reddy stadium in Yousufguda. Counting for the eight constituencies in Ranga Reddy district will be held at BC Residential school at Palmakul while votes for four constituencies in Vikarabad — Pargi, Vikarabad, Tandur and Kodangal — will be taken up at Vikarabad’s agriculture market committee godown. The election authority has made elaborate security arrangements at the counting centres including a three-layer police cordon at each of the counting centres. A network of CCTV cameras has also been put in place at the counting centres to keep a watch on the movement of the personnel and political parties’ representatives. The first level training for staff drafted for counting has been completed and steps had been taken to issue special identity cards for counting agents.
Carrying of mobile phones and cameras into the counting centres is prohibited and the process will start with the counting of postal ballots.
