Wait over, nominees’ fate to be decided today

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 22

Preparations have been put in place for the counting of votes tomorrow as upbeat BJP workers are making elaborate plans for celebrations in anticipation of victory while there is complete silence in the Congress camp.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer DK Ratan said here today that the counting would be held at 18 locations and would start at 8 am. He said the ‘dry run’ on the software had successfully been done by all Returning Officers in four constituencies.

Ratan said necessary infrastructure like computers, high-speed Internet facility (8 mbps) and uninterrupted power supply required for the counting had been put in place. The counting of votes would take place in Shimla, Dhami, Solan, Nahan, Mandi, Sundernagar, Jogindernagar, Kullu, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una, Chamba, Nurpur, Palampur, Dharamsala, Keylong, Reckong Peo and Rampur.

Himachal recorded the highest-ever polling of 72.25 per cent. A total of 38,01,793 cast their vote out of 52,62,126 voters on May 19. In Mandi and Kangra segments, women turned out in larger numbers than men.

In most places, the counting of votes for the Assembly segments of one district will be done at the district headquarters. The counting will begin with the service voters and electronic votes and later the votes in the EVMs will be counted.

The counting of votes on five VVPATs in each Assembly segment will also take place, said officials. It could result in some delay in announcement of the election results.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the questions being raised by the Congress candidate from Mandi on the high voter turnout in Seraj was an insult of voters. Seeing the defeat, the Congress had started putting the blame on EVMs.

Confident of victory, BJP leaders in many places have made elaborate arrangements for celebrations. On the other hand, Congress leaders are skeptical, especially after exit polls giving a clear mandate to the BJP.

Arrangements in place

• Necessary infrastructure like computers, high-speed Internet facility and uninterrupted power supply has been put in place for counting of votes
• The counting of votes will take place in Shimla, Dhami, Solan, Nahan, Mandi, Sundernagar, Jogindernagar, Kullu, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una, Chamba, Nurpur, Palampur, Dharamsala, Keylong, Reckong Peo and Rampur