A total of 5,717 candidates in the district await people’s verdict as the results of local body polls will be declared on Wednesday. Though the election in the Parambilmukku and the Chola wards in the Panmana grama panchayat have been postponed following the death of candidates, the voters could cast their votes for the block panchayat ward and the district panchayt division.
Kollam has a total of 1,598 wards and 1,596 among them will get new representatives. According to officials, all provisions are in place for the smooth counting of votes that begins at 8 a.m.
Postal ballots first
Postal ballots and special postal ballots will be counted first. After that votes recorded in the electronic voting machines will be counted. The Department of Posts has made elaborate arrangements to collect the ballots and deliver them at various counting stations. Postal ballots that reach the department till 6 a.m. will be handed over to officials at the counting centres concerned.
In the district, all 11 block panchayats, four municipalities and the Kollam Corporation have counting centres and the results will be made available to the public at the earliest. Apart from the 16 counting centres, arrangements have been made at the Kollam Collectorate to count postal ballots for the district panchayat. Other than the candidate and the chief election agent, only one agent will be allowed near the counting table. Persons who do not produce identity proof will be denied entry to counting stations.
73.8% voting
In Kollam, 73.8% of the voters had exercised their franchise during the polls held on December 8. The 26 divisions of the district panchayat saw a total of 107 candidates, including 51 women and 56 men. The Kollam Corporation with 55 divisions had 231 contestants. The total number of candidates in the 11 block panchayats is 528. The four municipalities in Kollam have 131 divisions and the number of candidates is 445. While the number of candidates in 152 block panchayats is 528, a total of 4,406 persons contested in the 1,232 wards of the 68 grama panchayats in Kollam.
