GHMC polls: All arrangements in place for counting
Hyderabad: All arrangements are in place for the counting of votes in the 150 divisions of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections on Friday.
For every round, 14,000 votes will be counted and as many as 8,152 personnel will be participating in the counting exercise. In all, counting centres have been set up at 30 locations and depending on the number of wards in each circle, 150 halls have been set up.
There will be 14 tables in each hall and 31 observers will be monitoring the proceedings. The entire counting exercise will be monitored through surveillance cameras and recorded as well. At each table, surveillance cameras have been installed to ensure transparency in the exercise.
Before commencing the counting of ballot paper votes, postal ballots will be counted as 1,926 postal ballots have been issued. Mobile phones and other gadgets will not be permitted into the counting centres, officials said.
Among the 34,50,331 votes polled, 18,60,400 men exercised their franchise and 15,90,219 women have cast their vote. Among the 150 divisions, Patancheru and Bharathinagar divisions, recorded 65.77 per cent and 61.89 per cent poll percentage respectively.
Similarly, Yousufguda and Mehdipatnam divisions registered the lowest voting percentage – 32.99 per cent and 34.41 per cent- respectively. The strong rooms will be opened in the presence of contesting candidates or their agents at 7.45 am and agents will be permitted into the counting hall only after presenting the identity card issued by the Returning Officer.
Contesting candidates can deploy their agents at each table and they have to reach the counting hall one hour before the exercise commences. Ink and water bottles will not permitted into the counting hall.
Covid guidelines
In view of the coronavirus pandemic, all safety precautions and guidelines were being followed at the counting centres, SEC C Partha Sarathi said. At each counting table, one sanitiser bottle is being provided and it is mandatory for the staff, counting agents and candidates to sport masks in the counting centres, he said.
Traffic advisory issued
In view of the counting of votes for the GHMC-2020 at the counting centre at PJR Stadium in Chandanagar, certain traffic restrictions have been issued for Friday.
Accordingly, traffic will be diverted at Saraswathi Vidya Mandir junction, pipe line road, Chandanagar towards Geetha talkies side and traffic will not be allowed towards PJR stadium.
Traffic will be diverted at Huda colony junction and not be allowed towards PJR stadium while vehicles will be diverted at primary school junction at Shivaji Nagar weaker section colony, Chandanagar.
Likewise due to the counting centre at Rishi MS Engineering college at Samatha Nagar in Kukatpally, traffic will not be allowed on Samatha Nagar road from Brown Bear Bakery junction towards Rishi Engineering college.
Traffic will not be allowed at Allahpur junction, Nizampet road and Srinivasa stationary shop on Pragathi nagar road at Bhagyanagar Hills, Kukatpally towards Rishi M.S Engineering College and traffic from Konaseema Vantillu junction, near Rachabanda ground towards MNR College will be diverted
Officials said the contesting candidates, counting agents and counting staff should wear the identity cards issued by the authorities concerned. Mobile phones, pens or matchboxes, etc will not be allowed into the premises.
As there are restrictions under section 144 of CrPC, general public will not be allowed near counting centres. No rallies or processions or party supporters will be allowed near counting Centres.
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