Counting to begin at 8 am for Rajasthan Assembly elections

Jaipur: Counting for the Rajasthan Assembly elections will begin at 8 am on Tuesday. As many as 20,000 government staff have been deployed for the counting procedure.

The outcome of the assembly elections will prove if the ruling BJP, which hopes to buck the two-decade trend of the incumbent losing power, will retain power in the state. Congress – the main opposition party – is equally hopeful of making a comeback in Rajasthan. 

Though there were reports of EVMs malfunctioning at some polling booths, the polling was largely peaceful. According to state's Chief Electoral Officer Anand Kumar, a voter turnout of 72.62 per cent was recorded in Rajasthan.

Counting will take place at 35 centres including two centres each in Jaipur and Jodhpur, Anand Kumar said.

The Chief Election Office (CEO) has completed all preparations ahead of counting of votes on Tuesday for the polls, he said.

Kumar said that ample security arrangements have been made at the counting centres and nearby locations, with a three-layered security in place. He added that the counting process will start with postal ballots and then EVMs.

Voting trends and result will be telecast at public places for the first time in the state through 350 LED screens, he added.

In 2013 assembly election, BJP had won 163 seats, Congress 21, BSP 3, NPP 4 and independents and others 9 seats. After bypolls in the state, BJP presently holds 160 seats, Congress 25, BSP 2 and NPP 3 seats.

However, the exits polls conducted by a number of news channels this year indicated a clear majority for the Congress in Rajasthan.

Polling was held in the single phase for 199 out of the 200 Assembly seats in Rajasthan on December 7, Friday. Polling in Alwar district’s Ramgarh was postponed due to the death of BSP candidate Laxman Singh.