Chennai, June 2(BPNS)
The counting of votes for all the 39 Lok Sabha seats held on April 19 and the Vilavancode assembly by-election will commence from 8 am on Tuesday(June 4 )in Tamil Nadu. The results are expected by evening of the same day.
Postal votes would be counted first as per Rule 54A of the Conduct of Election Rules 1961. The Counting of votes polled in electronic voting machines (EVMs) will commence at 8.30 am.
950 candidates were in the fray for 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu recorded 69.72% voter turnout in the Lok Sabha elections, with Dharmapuri posting the highest turnout at 81.20% and Chennai central recording the lowest at 53.96%.
There will be 39 counting centres across the state and 38,000 personnel will be involved in the counting exercise. Elaborate arrangements are in place in 234 rooms located in 43 buildings in these 39 counting centres.
3200 counting tables will be arranged across the state with 14 tables in each counting room.
Additional tables will be set up if there is a necessity and counting of votes in each of the counting tables will be videotaped.
Each of the counting tables would be assigned one counting supervisor (Gazetted Officer or equivalent) , one counting assistant ,multiple counting staff (Group D employee) and one micro observer.
The counting agents and others will not be allowed to go outside the counting centre during the counting process. They would be allowed to go outside only after the declaration of the results according to the Handbook for Returning Officer 2023 published by the Election Commission of India.
After the process of counting of votes is completed at a centre, the respective Returning Officer (RO) will prepare the final result sheet which will have details of the number of votes polled by each candidate.
RO’s will then have to proceed to make the formal declaration of the result of the election -Form 21C in case of all the 39 Lok Sabha seats and 21 D in case of the Vilavancode by-election.
If two candidates contesting any seat happen to secure the highest number of votes and their votes are equal in number, the result will have to be declared by a draw of lots.
