Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Result to be declared by afternoon

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

ALL SET: A view of the counting centre at the Swarna Bharati Indoor Stadium on the eve of the counting of votes for the Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Visakhapatnam on Friday.

VISAKHAPATNAM: While trends might be available after one or two hours of commencement of counting of votes at 8.00 a.m. on Saturday, officially announced results would be available only in the afternoon.

This is because of the procedure adopted for counting. There are 15 Assembly constituencies in the district. While Anakapalle Lok Sabha seat has seven Assembly segments in the district, Visakhapatnam has six (plus S. Kota from Vizianagaram district) Assembly segments in the district. Paderu and Araku Assembly segments in the district form part of newly carved Araku Lok Sabha seat.

Officials had arranged 146 counting tables for two Lok Sabha seats and an equal number of tables for the 15 Assemble segments. In all, there would be 380 rounds of counting for the two Lok Sabha seats and an equal number for the 15 Assembly segments. Voters had cast their votes in 3,581 polling stations and depending upon the number of polling stations in each Assembly segment, the number of rounds range from a minimum of 20, as in the case of Araku Valley (ST), to a maximum of 30 as in the case of Elamanchili Assembly seat. As many 960 personnel were deployed for counting votes. About 40 trained officers were kept as stand-by

First, counting of postal ballots will be taken up. According to officials, the total number of postal ballot votes cast in Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat is about 5,700, and about 5,780 in the Anakapalle Lok Sabha seat. This number will be added to the tally after completion of counting of regular votes. Unlike in the past there will be a static observer at each counting table this time. Presuming that each round of counting will, on an average, require 20 minutes, the time required for completion of counting at each Assembly segment would be more than six hours, which means that the official result would be known only in the afternoon.

A lot depends on the officials manning counting tables, said a senior officer in-charge of counting, adding that after first and second round, the process will pick up speed.

College of Education, Dr. L.B. College (all the seven Assembly segments comprising Anakapalle Lok Sabha seat), Swarna Bharathi Indoor Stadium (Araku Valley and Paderu, both reserved for ST), Department of Chemical Engineering - AU (Bheemili) at AU College of Engineering, Marine Engineering Block (Visakhapatnam West). Dr.V.S. Krishna Government Degree College (Visakhapatnam East), AU College of Engineering, Room No.22 (Visakhapatnam South), Jana Sikshana Samsthan (Visakhapatnam North), AU College of Engineering, Library Hall (Gajuwaka).

As many as 22 election observers have arrived to oversee counting of votes. All are senior officers, from outside Andhra Pradesh.

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