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Counting starts for UP panchayat polls, first results by tonight
More than 1.2 million candidates were in the fray. As many as 45,00,00 of them tried their luck for the posts of gram pradhans.
Manual counting of panchayat election votes began at 829 polling centres across Uttar Pradesh from 8 am on Sunday with the State Election Commission (SEC) saying it was strictly enforcing the Covid-19 protocols. The commission said candidates and their supporters were allowed at the centres only after showing negative Covid-19 reports amid some reports of flouting of the norms. Those, who have had both Covid-19 vaccine shots, were also being allowed.
“The results of the village pradhans [heads] election will start coming in from late Sunday night. The results of kshetra [regional] panchayat and zila [district] panchayat members may be available only on May 3 [Monday],” said an SEC official, who did not wish to be named. He said counting started simultaneously in all 75 districts for 58,176 posts of gram pradhan (village heads), 7,32,485 village ward members, and 75,852 kshetra panchayat members along with 3,051 zila panchayat members.
“The counting will continue till the last result comes,” he said, adding that the first results may start trickling in from Sunday night.
More than 1.2 million candidates were in the fray. As many as 45,00,00 of them tried their luck for the posts of gram pradhans.
The guidelines issued by state election commissioner Manoj Kumar on Friday for the counting mandated the setting up of health desks across all the centres. They also directed the availability of medicines and deployment of doctors there.
“Anyone showing symptoms like cold, and fever was being denied entry. Each person was being allowed entry after thermal scanning and Covid report or vaccination status check,” a second official said, requesting anonymity.
Officials said district magistrates have been empowered to take action against those found violating protocols.
Earlier, officials held a meeting with heads of different employee associations ahead of the counting to assure them that all Covid protocols would be followed. The aim of the meeting was to build confidence among government teachers and other staff engaged in counting.
Dinesh Chandra Sharma, the president of a teachers’ union, said they will abide by the Supreme Court order and take part in counting. “However, if the teachers felt that the Covid protocols were not followed, they will boycott counting.”
On Saturday, the Supreme Court refused to stay the counting of votes after taking note of the SEC’s assurance that Covid-19 protocols would be followed across all the counting centres.
The court on Friday sought a response from the state government and the SEC on a plea seeking a direction for adherence to Covid-19 protocols during the counting of votes for the four-phase elections that concluded on April 29.
