The much-anticipated day has finally arrived, and the nation’s fate is set to be decided as the counting of votes commences today. The Election Commission has meticulously organized the arrangements for tallying the votes across Odisha, encompassing 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats. Counting will be held in 70 centres throughout the state starting at 8 am on Tuesday, officials said.
Counting halls have been equipped with air conditioning to counter the heatwave, while standby power generators, CCTV surveillance, and firefighting teams have been put in place. To ensure the well-being of personnel involved, arrangements for drinking water and ORS have been adequately provided.
Each EVM counting table will be staffed by one counting supervisor, one counting assistant, and one micro observer, according to officials.
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Over 25 million voters exercised their franchise in the four-phase elections, resulting in a turnout of 74.44 percent, surpassing the 73.09 percent recorded in 2019, as informed by Odisha’s chief electoral officer, Nikunja Bihari Dhal, during a press conference held on Monday.
Out of the total electors, 75.55 percent women and 73.37 percent men participated in this election.
Across the 70 centers, more than 67,000 ballot units, along with 147,000 postal ballots for Lok Sabha elections and 146,000 for assembly elections, will be tallied.
A total of 5,777 counting supervisors, 5,233 counting assistants, and 5,396 micro observers have been appointed for this purpose. Furthermore, 124 special observers have been designated by the Election Commission to monitor the counting process.
Security measures have been heightened with the deployment of 60 companies of central armed police force (CAPF) and Odisha armed police force at counting centers. Additionally, another 89 CAPF companies have been deployed to maintain law and order after the announcement of results
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