Telangana: Munugode bypoll result likely by 1pm

HYDERABAD: All eyes are on the result of the Munugode bypoll with elaborate arrangements having been made for vote counting on Sunday. Tight security is in place for the counting at State Warehousing Corporation godowns in Nalgonda town. The counting will begin at 8 am and is likely to be completed by 1 pm.
Counting of votes for the high-octane Munugode bypoll will begin from Jaikesaram village booths in Choutuppal mandal when Election Commission of India (ECI) takes up the counting process on Sunday morning. Though counting will begin at 8am, the final result is expected only by 1pm. Initial trends of the prestigious election are expected by 9.30am. Polling for the bypoll was held on November 3 in which over 93% voters exercised their franchise.

ECI has made elaborate arrangements for counting of 2.25 lakh votes at State Warehousing Corporation godowns at Arjalabavi in Nalgonda town. Officials said the counting of votes would be taken up from Choutuppal mandal followed by Narayanpur, Munugode, Chandur, Marriguda, Nampally and Gattuppal mandals.
"All arrangements have been made for counting of votes. The strong room, containing polled EVMs, will be opened in the presence of the observer, contesting candidates and election agents at 7:30am before counting starts at 8am. A three-layered security has been provided at the counting centre with the inner core area being manned by central forces, while the outer two layers are fortified with the state police," chief electoral officer Vikas Raj said.
Explaining the process of counting, the CEO said 680 postal ballots would be counted first and 30 minutes later EVM counting would begin. Twenty-one tables have been arranged and counting would be completed in 15 rounds. "In each round of counting, the observer will cross check the result of two randomly selected polling stations with the result sheet on the table. After completion of EVM counting, the mandatory counting of five randomly selected VVPAT slips will be taken up at VCB (VVPAT counting booth)," Vikas Raj said.
Meanwhile, ahead of the counting, election general observer Pankaj Kumar, district election officer and Nalgonda collector T Vinay Krishna Reddy and returning officer Rohit Singh held counting rehearsal for the counting staff at the counting centre on Saturday. Officials said while 250 counting staff were being involved, 100 would be deployed for counting and the rest 150 would be utilised for other works.
A separate hall with 150 seating capacity has been arranged for both media coverage and journalists.