Tight security in UP ahead for counting of votes

A total of 78 counting centres have been set up in Uttar Pradesh for the counting of votes to be held on Saturday.

Lucknow, March 10: Amid tight security arrangements, counting of votes for all the 403 Uttar Pradesh Assembly seats will be taken up on Saturday. "Counting of votes for 403 Assembly seats will start at 8 in the morning. Counting of ballots will take place in all the 75 districts," state election office said here on Friday.

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In addition to general observers, a micro-observer will be deputed at each and every counting table to keep an eye on counting. Three-tier security arrangements have been made to ensure full proof security in and around the counting centres. Only central para-military forces will be deployed inside the counting centres while local police will be deployed in the outer circle and armed forces from other states will be around the centres to prevent the entry of any unauthorised persons.

20,000 personnel of central forces were being deployed, police said. A total of 78 counting centres have been set up in the state. In three districts of Amethi, Azamgarh and Kushinagar two counting centres each have been set up and in remaining all 72 district counting will be held at one place. The Election Commission has issued strict guidelines on security arrangements for counting of votes.

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It has prohibited mobile phones inside the counting halls. As part of the three-tier security arrangements, adequate local police force shall be stationed at first point of entry to check the identity of the persons seeking entry into the counting premises. A senior magistrate will be posted at the entrance to control the crowd and regulate the entry.

The Election commission has said the 100-metre area around a counting premise or campus should be demarcated as pedestrian zone and no vehicles should be allowed within this perimeter. Additional CCTV cameras will be installed at such locations from where the carrying of EVMs from strong rooms to the counting hall can be recorded for effective monitoring. Uttar Pradesh had seven-phase polling that started on February 11 and ended on March 8.

PTI