After record polling in Jammu and Kashmir, focus shifts to counting arrangements
Jammu and Kashmir chief electoral officer Pandurang K Pole said all the arrangements have been put in place across the union territory
After the completion of parliamentary polls in all the five constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir, the election authorities are all set for the counting of votes on June 4.
Jammu and Kashmir chief electoral officer (CEO) Pandurang K Pole said all the arrangements have been put in place across the union territory (UT).
“The counting halls have been established and strong rooms are in place. Whatever little is pending is being done,” Pole said.
Authorities are optimistic as the polls to the Anantnag-Rajouri seat concluded on Saturday with a record percentage like earlier phases.
Pole said the UT registered an unprecedented 58.11% overall polling, which is highest in the past 35 years.
In the election which concluded in five phases, Kashmir division’s Baramulla recorded 59.10%, Anantnag-Rajouri saw 53%, Srinagar received 39% votes. While Jammu division’s Udhampur witnessed 68.27% and Jammu saw 72.22% voting.
The three constituencies of Kashmir, Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag; witnessed record polling in four decades as there was no boycott call by separatists or militants this time.
The CEO attributed the high voter turnout, particularly in Kashmir, to improved security, law and order environment since the last 4-5 years, election awareness through SVEEP activities and more importantly voters’ strong belief in ballot.
{{/usCountry}}The CEO attributed the high voter turnout, particularly in Kashmir, to improved security, law and order environment since the last 4-5 years, election awareness through SVEEP activities and more importantly voters’ strong belief in ballot.
{{/usCountry}}“All the security arrangements are in place for the counting process,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“All the security arrangements are in place for the counting process,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The counting in Srinagar constituency will be held at SKICC-Centaur where surveillance and security measures, seating arrangements, transporting of EVMs and the technical setup at the counting halls were being made to ensure transparency, accuracy and the timely announcement of results.
{{/usCountry}}The counting in Srinagar constituency will be held at SKICC-Centaur where surveillance and security measures, seating arrangements, transporting of EVMs and the technical setup at the counting halls were being made to ensure transparency, accuracy and the timely announcement of results.
{{/usCountry}}Authorities said the counting process will be executed, as per election commission’s guidelines, under video recording and except the observer and the returning officer, no one will be allowed to take mobile phones inside the counting room.
{{/usCountry}}Authorities said the counting process will be executed, as per election commission’s guidelines, under video recording and except the observer and the returning officer, no one will be allowed to take mobile phones inside the counting room.
{{/usCountry}}“The EVMs are presently kept under a three-layer security cordon in strong rooms at SKICC-Centaur, after the voting process was completed on May 13 for Srinagar parliamentary constituency,” a government spokesman earlier said.
Similarly, counting for Anantnag constituency’s 11 segments will be done at the Government Degree College, Anantnag.
“The arrangements for the Rajouri-Poonch segments have been made from that side,” Pole said. “I have personally checked. There have been good arrangements by the district administration in Anantnag,” he said.
The counting center and strong rooms for the Baramulla constituency have been established at the Indoor Sports Stadium, Baramulla.
“The district administration has diligently implemented all necessary measures in compliance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India,” the government spokesperson, quoted earlier, said.
