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TFP Bureau, Raipur, Nov30, 2023: With the culmination of two-phase voting for the Chhattisgarh Assembly Election-2023, the focus now shifts to the meticulous counting of votes scheduled for December 3. Across all 33 district headquarters, preparations have been finalized to ensure a smooth and transparent counting process.
Additional Counting Tables Approved:
Chief Electoral Officer Mrs. Reena Babasaheb Kangale announced that the Election Commission of India has approved the installation of additional counting tables for EVMs in 6 assembly constituencies. Initially set at 14 tables, an additional 7 tables have been sanctioned for the constituencies of Kawardha, Pandariya, Kasdol, Sarangarh, Bilaigarh, and Bharatpur-Sonhat. This brings the total number of approved tables for counting votes through EVMs to 21 across these constituencies.
Impact on Vote Counting:
The increase in counting tables implies a shift in the counting dynamics. Notably, Kawardha and Kasdol will now undergo vote counting in 20 cycles, Pandariya in 19 cycles, Sarangarh in 17 cycles, Bilaigarh in 18 cycles, and Bharatpur Sonhat in 15 cycles.
Appeal to Political Parties:
Chief Electoral Officer Mrs. Reena Kangale appealed to all political parties and candidates to promptly appoint additional counting agents for the newly approved tables in their respective assembly constituencies.
Postal Ballots Overview:
As of November 29, a total of 1,03,463 postal ballots of all categories have been received for the 90 assembly constituencies in the state. This includes ballots from service voters, election duty employees, and various categories of absentee voters.
Breakdown of Postal Ballots:
Service Voters (ETPB):6,169
Election Duty Employees: 91,086
80+ Age Group, Disabled, and Essential Service Voters: 6,043
Absence Voters of Essential Services Category:165
Chief Electoral Officer Mrs. Reena Babasaheb Kangale emphasized that the numerical information of received postal ballots is regularly communicated to the Election Commission of India and shared with all candidates at the district level. On the counting day, the ballots will be transported securely from the strong room to the counting venue in the morning, with counting commencing at 8 o’clock for postal ballots and EVM machine votes thereafter.
