The counting of votes polled during the first and second phases of the ordinary rural local bodies elections, held in the nine newly created districts, is scheduled to commence at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. As many as 23,998 posts are expected to be filled through the ordinary elections in Chengalpattu, Kallakurichi, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Tirupattur, Vellore and Villupuram districts. As many as 79,433 candidates were in the fray. Votes polled in other districts to fill casual vacancies will also be counted on Tuesday.
All activities during the counting of votes will be recorded, the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission said on Monday. “Candidates, their agents, counting agents and officials involved in the counting process will not be allowed to carry their mobile phones inside the counting centres,” the TNSEC said in an official release. The general public will not be allowed inside the centres.
A total of 31,245 officials will be involved in the counting of votes at 74 centres in the nine districts. Over 6,200 officials and police personnel will be involved in security arrangements.
The ballot boxes, kept in the strongrooms at the counting centres, will be shifted to sorting rooms, in the presence of the agents of the candidates, and then will be taken to the counting rooms. The entire sequencing of events will be recorded in CCTV cameras, the Commission said. The updates can be accessed on the TNSEC portal from that time.
State Election Commissioner V. Palanikumar on Monday chaired a meeting to review the arrangements being made for the counting on Tuesday. He instructed officials to avoid crowding and to ensure that distancing norms are adhered to.
After the counting is done, the first meeting and taking over of the newly elected as ward members and presidents of village panchayats will be held on October 20. Indirect elections for electing presidents and vice presidents to district panchayats, panchayat unions, town panchayats and village panchayats in the nine districts will be held on October 22.
Training for using EVMs
On Monday, a training programme for 120 master trainers was organised, and engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited explained the usage of electronic voting machines that are to be employed during the urban local bodies polls.
Mr. Palanikumar chaired a meeting to discuss arrangements for the conduct of polls to urban local bodies. TNSEC Secretary V. Amuthavalli, Commissioner of Town Panchayats R. Selvaraj, Director of Municipal Administration P. Ponniah, Chennai Corporation’s Regional Deputy Commissioner (South) Simranjeet Singh Kahlon and senior officials were present.
