All set for counting of votes in AP

Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena on Monday said all arrangements have been made for counting of votes on Tuesday, and the procedure will begin at 8 am.
The CEO said the number of counting locations are 33 across the state, in 401 halls which will have 2,443 EVM tables for Parliamentary constituencies and 2,446 for assembly constituencies.
“All the DEO (District Election Officers) reported that all arrangements have been made for counting of votes. Counting of votes will be taken up at 8 am on June 4,” said Meena, addressing a press conference.
There are 443 postal ballot tables for Parliamentary constituencies and 557 for assembly constituencies. As many 454 candidates contested for the Lok Sabha and 2,387 for the legislative assembly, while 3.33 crore voters exercised their franchise on May 13, including 26.4 lakh voters who were over 85 years of age and persons with disabilities. There were 26.7 lakh service electors (members of armed forces) and employees of essential services and 4.61 lakh voters on election duty, said Meena.
The Election Commission has deployed 119 observers to supervise the counting process and has also allotted a micro-observer for each counting table.  Likewise, two additional micro-observers have been appointed for each counting hall to assist the observer, while a sufficient number of counting supervisors and assistants have been deployed with a 10 per cent reserve.
In total, 25,209 staff have been deployed for the counting process.
The CEO said that in 111 assembly constituencies there will be fewer than 20 rounds of EVM vote counting, in 61 constituencies between 21 and 24 rounds, and in three constituencies there will be over 25 rounds.
Similarly, 102 assembly constituencies are expected to have up to two rounds of postal ballot counting, 48 constituencies up to three rounds and 25 constituencies four rounds.
The CEO observed that there will be uninterrupted CCTV coverage of the movement of VVPAT machines, control units and relevant documents from strongrooms to counting halls and back.
“Entire counting process in the counting halls will also have 360-degree CCTV coverage or videography with date and time stamping and stored in appropriate retrievable storage devices safely,” said Meena.
Speaking about the seizure of cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals and other freebies during the election period, he said the value of the seizures amounted to Rs 483 crore from January 1 to June 2.
For maintaining law and order during the counting procedure, the CEO said a three-tier cordoning system will be in place at all counting centres and the areas surrounding the premises have been declared as red zones.
Moreover, CrPC Section 144 has been promulgated in and around EVM strongrooms and counting centres, among other tight security measures.
The poll body has identified 1,985 sensitive locations in 26 districts while 83 assembly segments out of 175 have also been identified as sensitive.
To ensure an incident-free election results day in these 83 segments, Meena said one ADGP, two IGPs, two DIGs, 11 SPs, 26 ASPs, 79 DSPs, 206 inspectors and 228 sub-inspectors have been deployed.
Andhra Pradesh went to the polls for 25 Lok Sabha and 175 assembly seats on May 13.