Counting in Uttar Pradesh and four other states begun at 8 am. Elaborate arrangements and heavy security are in place for the counting of votes. The Election Commission has issued guidelines on security arrangements for counting of votes, and has also set up facilities for disseminating trends and results of elections of five assemblies.
In Uttar Pradesh, counting will take place in 78 centres across 75 districts. The Chief Electoral officer reviewed preparations for counting of votes through video conferencing. In Uttarakhand, counting of votes will be held at 15 centres across the state.
To avoid any controversy, the counting process will be video graphed, while in Manipur, the counting of votes for 60-member Assembly will be taken up at 11 centres.
Meanwhile in Punjab, 14,000 officials have been deployed for smooth conduct of counting and it will be held at 54 counting centers at 27 locations, and in Goa, counting for 19 North Goa constituencies will be held at Panaji and for 21 south Goa constituencies in Madgaon city. (ANI)
The election results are seen a test of popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Counting underway in 78 centres across 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. (visuals from Allahabad) #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/PZn6Qm4LpO
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2017
With exit poll results in Bharatiya Janata Party’s favour, the saffron party is looking to make a comeback after seventeen years in the politically crucial state. However, Samajwadi Party and Congress alliance played down the exit polls and expressed confidence that they will emerge victorious.
Party’s BJP Chief Keshav Prasad Maurya has said that the party will emerge victorious with 2/3rd majority. “We are winning with 2/3rd majority, SP and BSP will be wiped out,” Maurya told ANI.
Visuals from Imphal: Counting of votes for 60-member Assembly underway at eleven centres in Manipur. #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/GD5TEOsZ7P
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 11, 2017
The SP sought to pick holes in the surveys, terming these as “nonsensical” and “influenced”. Dismissing the exit poll results, the Congress said that the poll outcome will be in its favour. Exit poll surveys show the Congress and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party are in a close fight in Punjab. Almost all survey has predicted a rout BJP-Akali combine in the state. In Goa, most surveys have predicted that BJP will be ahead of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, however no clear majority has been predicted for any party.
(ANI inputs)
