Stage set for counting of votes for 90 Assembly seats tomorrow

JAMMU: The stage is set for counting of votes for the 90 Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday amid multi-tier security arrangements, officials said.

In Srinagar, the counting using Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) would be taken up at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) at Centaur on the banks of the Dal Lake, officials said. The three-phase Assembly elections, the first in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade, witnessed record voter turnout on September 18, 25 and October 1.

All the Deputy Commissioners of the 20 districts of the Union Territory have put in place facilities at vote counting centres, officials said.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pandurang K Pole emphasised on transparency, promising that efforts shall be made to ensure that both media and public stay informed of the election results as they unfold.

He directed officials to ensure that all necessary measures are implemented in strict accordance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Similar arrangements have been made in the Jammu region at counting centres in all districts.

All the mainstream parties including the National Conference (NC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) have named their counting agents to oversee the process at various centres..

The NC and Congress alliance have claimed they would get absolute majority. A similar claim was made by the BJP.

However, the exit polls suggested that the NC and the Congress may emerge as the largest bloc in the 90-member Assembly.

The PDP has claimed it will play a pivotal role in forming the next government. The exit polls have claimed that the party may get less than 10 seats.

Others and independent candidates will also have a chance to play an important role in the forming of the next government in Jammu and Kashmir, the exit polls predicted.(Agencies)