By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 1: In less than 72 hours, the names of the new MPs from Shillong and Tura will be revealed, and for the big day in Shillong, the district administration of East Khasi Hills is all geared up for the counting of votes in Shillong.
East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, SC Sadhu, informed that, in accordance with Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines, a three-tier security system will be implemented at the counting centres. The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will manage the inner security ring, while the state police will handle the two outer rings.
Additionally, the outer zone will be a no-vehicle area, with a designated parking space for Election Returning Officers and contesting candidates. Counting agents of political parties will have drop-off access only, and entry to the counting center will be restricted to those with identity cards.
Sadhu noted that while the official declaration of the winning candidates might be delayed due to procedures like counting five VVPATs from each Assembly constituency, they expect data compilation to be completed between 12:30 PM and 1 PM. Over 5,500 postal ballots and approximately 1,500 service voters are to be counted.
The district administration recently met with political parties, seeking their cooperation in maintaining law and order during the counting process. Parties were urged to ensure their cadres also adhere to these guidelines.
A communication room for media personnel will be set up next to the counting center, providing live updates on the vote tallying.
Counting for the Shillong constituency will utilize 369 tables across seven districts, while the Tura constituency will use 244 tables across five districts. The Chief Electoral Officer of Meghalaya recently held a meeting with political party representatives, providing a brief presentation on the counting process for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for June 4, 2024.
The counting will commence at 8 AM. Notably, the Mawlai Assembly segment, being the largest in terms of the number of electors, will be counted in nine rounds. There will be a total of eight counting centers for the Shillong constituency and five for the Tura constituency. The ECI has deployed 18 Counting Observers, with 12 assigned to the Shillong constituency and six to the Tura constituency.
