Counting for 90 seats today, all results expected by evening; 28 centres set up
BJP forms Group to monitor situation
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 7: Jammu and Kashmir will get 90 elected MLAs tomorrow as counting of votes in all 20 districts of the Union Territory will be taken up at 7 AM and is expected to be completed by the evening with declaration of all results if everything goes well.
Click Here To Join Daily Excelsior on WhatsApp And Get Latest News
A total of 873 candidates were in the fray on 90 seats of the Assembly and around 40 percent of them were Independents while rest were fielded by major political parties including BJP, NC, Congress, PDP, BSP, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, People’s Conference, AIP, Panthers Party and many others.
This will be for the first time after June 2018 that Jammu and Kashmir will have the MLAs followed by the elected Government. It was on June 19, 2018 that Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP Government collapsed following withdrawal of support by the BJP. Since then J&K remained under Central rule initially as a State and then as a UT. The Assembly was under suspended animation for few months before being dissolved.
Click here to watch video
The BJP today formed a five member group comprising BJP Election Incharge Ram Madhav, Tarun Chugh, party national general secretary Incharge J&K, Ashok Koul, general secretary (Organizations), Sunil Sharma, former Minister and Devender Singh Rana, senior leader.
The group will camp in Srinagar tomorrow, study election trends, monitor political situation and keep New Delhi informed on all issues. Later, they will reach Jammu.
Many bigwigs are in the fray in the election on 43 seats of Jammu division including former Ministers, legislators and Government officers, whose fate will be unlocked in the EVMs tomorrow.
On the eve of counting, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) PK Pole said CCTVs have been set up in each counting hall for record creation.
He said the counting will begin at 7.30 AM for postal ballots and at 8 AM for the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
“The elections were held peacefully and no candidate or political party faced any kind of difficulty. Violence-free public participation was witnessed in the elections,” Pole said.
The CEO said a total of 28 counting centres have been set up in the UT. He added that all EVMs were securely placed in strong rooms of all district headquarters.
Counting centres have been set up in all 10 districts of Jammu region. Counting of the seats of every district will be held within the district at the centres set up by the Election authorities.
Pole stated that adequate checkpoints have been set up within a 100-meter perimeter of each counting centre.
Pole said strong rooms will be opened in presence of candidates, their authorized representatives, Returning Officers (ROs)/Assistant Returning Officers (AROs), and ECI observers and the entire process will be videographed. He added that mobile phones will not be allowed inside the counting centres.
Pole further said that two counting centres each have been set up for Kupwara, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur and Reasi districts, three counting centres have been set up for migrants while one counting centre each has been established for the remaining districts, where the counting will take place. He added that to monitor the counting process, various counting observers have also been appointed by Election Commission of India.
Concerned Deputy Commissioners have imposed certain restrictions around the counting centres. Counting will be held under tight security arrangements. All arrangements have been made for smooth counting followed by the victory processions of candidates.
Officials expressed confidence that if the counting process progressed smoothly, results of all 90 seats will be declared latest by tomorrow evening.
Entire process of elections will be over on October 10 with the Election Commission issuing notification for election of 90 MLAs.
Political parties will then initiate the process for formation of new Government and submit their claims to the Lieutenant Governor.
The BJP contested 61 seats including all 43 in Jammu division while Congress and National Conference as per pre-poll alliance fielded their candidates on 31 and 52 seats respectively besides having friendly contest on five seats. PDP also contested most of the seats in the UT. The BSP had also fielded a number of candidates.
Majority mark in the J&K Legislative Assembly is 48 as five MLAs to be nominated by the Lieutenant Governor too have the voting rights and strength of the House will go up to 95 with the nominations.
In 2014 Assembly, the PDP won 28 seats, BJP 25, NC 15, Congress 12, People’s Conference 2 and AIP and CPM one each while rest were Independents.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
