DIMAPUR, May 21 - Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Abhijit Sinha today said that the counting of votes for the Nagaland Parliamentary constituency would be held in 13 locations across the State on May 23.
In a release, Sinha said EVMs would be counted at one centre each in 11 districts of the State and one centre in Pughoboto subdivision. The counting of postal ballots for the entire Parliamentary constituency will take place at the office of the Returning Officer and Commissioner in Kohima.
The counting of votes for the by-election to the Aonglenden Assembly seat will be done at the office of the Mokokchung SDO (Civil) and Returning Officer in Mokokchung on May 23. Elections for both the Lok Sabha seat and the Assembly constituency were held on April 11.
The CEO said that all necessary arrangements have been put into place throughout the State to ensure smooth and proper counting. He said there would be two counting halls each in the seven election districts of Dimapur, Kohima, Phek, Mokokchung, Zunheboto, Mon and Tuensang. The remaining five election districts of Peren, Pughoboto, Wokha, Longleng and Kiphire will have one counting hall.
Sinha said the Election Commission of India has deployed 20 counting observers for the Parliamentary election and one counting observer for the by-election to the Assembly seat.
He added the SPs have made elaborate arrangements for a three-tier security cover during counting in all the locations.
The CEO further said assistant returning officers (AROs) from 12 locations would regularly upload the round-wise data on the online portal of the Election Commission and also submit the same to the Nagaland Returning Officer and Commissioner. After consolidating the results received from 12 locations and the postal ballot count at the end of the counting process, the Returning Officer will declare the results.
The CEO also stated that after completion of the last round of counting of votes recorded in the EVM control units of an Assembly segment, there would be mandatory verification of VVPAT paper slips of five randomly selected polling stations of that Assembly segment. These five polling stations will be selected through a draw of lots by the ARO concerned in the presence of candidates, their agents and observers. Counting of VVPATs will be done in a sequential manner.
