Counting to begin at 8 am today
Kolkata: The stage is set for counting of Panchayat elections on Tuesday with State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha on Monday making it clear to the district administration involved in the counting process that ballot papers without bearing the signature of presiding officers and the distinguishing rubber stamp mark affixed at the back of them shall be considered as invalid and will not be a part of the counting.
The counting is scheduled to start at 8 am. The SEC has issued directions that during the counting of votes, all ballot papers shall be examined carefully to ascertain their genuineness. Sinha has referred to the Handbook of Presiding Officers published by the Commission in conformity with Rule 57 of the West Bengal Panchayat Election Rules, 2006 where in sub rule (3) that states: “Every ballot paper before issue to a voter be stamped with such distinguishing mark as the District Panchayat Election Officer may direct and signed in full on its back by the Presiding Officer,” in his order.
Such an act by the Presiding Officer renders removal of all suspicion regarding the genuineness of all ballot papers used at the polling stations for polls. First, the votes of the officials on election duty will be counted. Then the counting for Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samity and Zilla Parishad will be held one after the other. Counting will be held in 339 centres across the state with the number of strong rooms for storing the ballot papers being 767. The highest number of counting centres — 28 — are located in South 24-Parganas. There will be the deployment of one company of central paramilitary forces in each of the counting venues along with state police deployment. Section 144 will be imposed in close proximity to the counting venues.
“We have taken all possible measures for the peaceful conduct of the counting process,” a senior official of the State Election Commission said. The details of counting venues as furnished by the Commission reveal that there will be six counting venues in Alipurduar, 22 in Bankura, 19 in Birbhum, 12 in Cooch Behar, 8 in South Dinajpur, 5 in Darjeeling, 18 in Hooghly, 14 in Howrah, 10 in Jalpaiguri, 8 in Jhargram, 4 in Kalimpong, 15 in Malda, 26 in Murshidabad, 18 in Nadia, 22 in North 24-Parganas, 8 in West Burdwan, 23 in East Burdwan, 21 in West Midnapore, 25 in East Midnapore, 20 in Purulia, 28 in South 24-Parganas and 8 in North Dinajpur. According to Commission’s sources, the full counting process may continue beyond midnight on Tuesday.
