The stage is set for counting of votes in 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat as arrangements have been completed by the Election Commission at 27 centres across the state.
Those in the fray from Gujarat include BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who contested from Vadodara, besides party veteran L K Advani from Gandhinagar. While from Congress, the party's general secretary Madhusudan Mistry, Leader of Opposition in Gujarat assembly Shankarsinh Vaghela, Union ministers Dinsha Patel, Bharat Solanki and Tushar Chaudhary are also contesting.
"All the arrangements for counting of votes are over," Additional Chief Electoral Officer Ashok Manek said.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made at counting centres across the state, he said. The candidates will be allowed in the counting centres but not near the tables.
There will be around 2,400 counting tables in all the 27 counting centres. About 8,000 officials will be involved in the counting exercise throughout the state, he said adding that every counting table will have central government officials acting as micro observers.
In all 334 candidates are in the fray for 26 seats in the state, where the main fight is between Congress and the BJP.
