Ludhiana bypoll: Counting of votes to begin at 8 am

Originally set for 7 am, the counting of votes for the Ludhiana (West) Assembly bypoll comprising 14 rounds will now begin at 8 am on Monday at Khalsa College For Women. Officials have not stated the reason for the change.

On Sunday, general observer Rajeev Kumar and district election officer (DEO) Himanshu Jain inspected the arrangements to ensure a smooth operation. The officials reviewed the examination hall, equipped with 14 tables for vote counting, and two additional tables designated for postal ballots and electronically transmitted postal ballot system (ETPBS) votes. They also assessed the media centre located in the college auditorium.

The district administration has implemented extensive measures, including robust security, with adequate police deployment at the counting centre. Special attention has been given to optimising parking arrangements for the convenience of all those involved in the exercise.

Meanwhile, the second randomisation of vote counting staff was successfully conducted on Sunday under the supervision of the general observer and district election officer.

Providing further details, Jain stated that 72 counting staff members had been randomised to ensure a seamless vote counting process. The exercise aims to efficiently allocate personnel for the counting of votes.

A total of 24 counting supervisors, 24 counting assistants and 24 micro-observers will be deployed, with each counting team comprising one supervisor, one assistant and one micro-observer. Jain added that the final randomisation for the counting staff will be held tomorrow morning.