Date:04/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/04/stories/2006070417530300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Counting of ballots begins today

Staff Reporter

Results of ZPTC, MPTC polls to be released by afternoon

Counting centres set up in all the 49 mandals in district
40 bundles, viz. 1000 votes to be taken up for counting in each round

33 special observers to oversee counting

VIJAYAWADA : Counting of ballots of ZPTC and MPTC elections in Krishna district will begin at 8 a.m. today in 49 centres spread across the district.

District Collector Navin Mittal said on Monday that a counting centre each had been set up for all the 49 mandals that went to polls on June 28. Ballots cast for both ZPTC and MPTCs in each of the mandals would be taken up simultaneously, and the results will be announced by afternoon. The ballots of ZPTC and MPTC members would be separated and bundled together at the rate of 25 ballots each. Forty such bundles, making up a total of 1,000 votes, would be taken up for counting in each round. Postal ballots would be taken up for counting in the beginning itself.

Counting centres have been set up at 33 places: Movva, Ghantasala, Challapalli, Mopidevi, Avanigadda, Koduru, Machilipatnam, Guduru, Pedana, Bantumilli, Kruthivennu, Pamarru, Gudivada, Nandiwada, Gudlavalleru, Kaikaluru, Tiruvuru, Vissannapeta, Nuzivid, Gannavaram, Vuyyuru, Jaggaiahpeta, Vatsavai, Penugranchiprolu, Nandigama, Kanchikacherla, Ibrahimpatnam, Mylavaram, Vijayawada, Penamaluru, Thotlavalluru and Kankipadu.

As many as 33 special observers would oversee the process of counting. Mr. Mittal said that a control room each had been set up at the Zilla Parishad office in Machilipatnam and Sub-Collector's office here for collating the information reaching from various counting centres. Neither ministers, MPs nor MLAs would be allowed into the counting centres, and only authorised counting agents of contesting candidates would be allowed.

Section 144 in place

District Superintendent of Police Murugesh Kumar Singh and City Police Commissioner Umesh Sharraff have clamped section 144 of Cr.P.C. (prohibiting assembly of five or more persons) in the radius of 200 metres of all counting centres in their respective jurisdictions to ensure trouble-free counting.

Mr. Mittal said that the election of Zilla Parishad chairperson and co-opted members would be held on July 10, while that of mandal president, vice-president and co-opted members would be taken up the next day.

And with just hours to go for counting to begin, main political parties claimed they were confident of victories of their candidates. Congress leaders have been maintaining that the party would bag 40 ZPTCs, while TDP and CPM leaders say together they would be taking away about 35 ZPTCs.