 "Stage set for counting amid tight security")
After a long and anxious wait for about a month following the end of simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state, the electoral fortunes of 1,420 assembly candidates and 196 aspirants for the Lok Sabha seats will finally be out in the open with the counting of votes tomorrow.
Braving the scorching sun, voters had exercised their franchise on April 10 and 17 clocking an average turnout of 74 per cent, a rise of almost nine per cent over 65.3 per cent recorded in the 2009 elections and about eight per cent more than the historic 66.4 per cent national turnout in the General elections. About 29 million eligible voters have cast their votes in the twin polls to chose representatives for 147 assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has put in place all the measures to ensure smooth conduct of the counting process. About 12,000 polling officials have been engaged in the counting of votes which will be held in 160 halls across 64 centres in the state.
Counting will start sharply at 8 am. Postal ballots would be taken up for counting first. Half an hour later, votes registered in EVMs will be counted. There will be seven tables each for the assembly and general elections.
Polling in the state was conducted for 10 Lok Sabha seats and 70 assembly seats on April 10 and 11 Lok Sabha seats and 77 assembly constituencies mostly belonging to the coastal areas on April 17.
Counting will decide the fate of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik whose Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is all set to retain power for the fourth time in a row as per the exit polls by TV channels. Prominent leaders whose fates are sealed in the EVMs are Union minister Srikant Jena, former union minister Jual Oram, former India hockey team captain, Dilip Tirkey, sitting BJD MP, Kalikesh Singhdeo, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena, state BJP president KV Singdeo among others.
Braving the scorching sun, voters had exercised their franchise on April 10 and 17 clocking an average turnout of 74 per cent, a rise of almost nine per cent over 65.3 per cent recorded in the 2009 elections and about eight per cent more than the historic 66.4 per cent national turnout in the General elections. About 29 million eligible voters have cast their votes in the twin polls to chose representatives for 147 assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has put in place all the measures to ensure smooth conduct of the counting process. About 12,000 polling officials have been engaged in the counting of votes which will be held in 160 halls across 64 centres in the state.
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Three tier security arrangements have been put in place to avoid any untoward incidents. Barricading would be done at a distance of 100 metres from the centre and the distance would be identified as walkable path and the first zone. The second zone will be manned by state armed police while the central para-military force personnel will be deployed for the third cordon.
Counting will start sharply at 8 am. Postal ballots would be taken up for counting first. Half an hour later, votes registered in EVMs will be counted. There will be seven tables each for the assembly and general elections.
Polling in the state was conducted for 10 Lok Sabha seats and 70 assembly seats on April 10 and 11 Lok Sabha seats and 77 assembly constituencies mostly belonging to the coastal areas on April 17.
Counting will decide the fate of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik whose Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is all set to retain power for the fourth time in a row as per the exit polls by TV channels. Prominent leaders whose fates are sealed in the EVMs are Union minister Srikant Jena, former union minister Jual Oram, former India hockey team captain, Dilip Tirkey, sitting BJD MP, Kalikesh Singhdeo, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena, state BJP president KV Singdeo among others.