E-Paper
Tight security for vote counting
ELABORATE SECURITY and other arrangements for the smooth counting of votes for all the 80 corporator and mayoral seats for Nagar Nigam polls are being made at Mudnera where the ballot boxes have been kept after polling on Tuesday. Adequate staff for counting has been deputed for this purpose. According to the District Election Office sources, counting of votes would start on November 6 morning and continue till the completion of the counting of all the votes under the supervision of the Returning Officer concerned.
Fate of 18 mayoral and over 600 corporator candidates sealed in ballot boxes
ELABORATE SECURITY and other arrangements for the smooth counting of votes for all the 80 corporator and mayoral seats for Nagar Nigam polls are being made at Mudnera where the ballot boxes have been kept after polling on Tuesday.
Adequate staff for counting has been deputed for this purpose.
According to the District Election Office sources, counting of votes would start on November 6 morning and continue till the completion of the counting of all the votes under the supervision of the Returning Officer concerned.
At all the counting centres, sufficient number of tables for counting would be put up and each candidate would appoint counting agents, who would remain present during counting.
The officials further informed that at every counting centre sufficient security would be deployed and proper barricading was being put up to keep the crowd of supporters of candidates at a reasonable distance. Further, no person other than those authorised by the Election Commission, the candidates, their election agents, counting agents and staff on duty for continuing, would be allowed to enter the counting centres.
Meanwhile, ballot boxes have already been moved to the counting centre and kept in safe custody. Fate of 18 mayoral and over 600 corporator candidates have been sealed in the ballot boxes.
It may be mentioned that after nearly 10 months the Nagar Nigam is going be represented by its elected representatives. The nagar nigam's tenure expired in February 2006 and since then the State Government has appointed the District Magistrate Amirt Abhijat as the administrator of Nigam for smooth functioning.
The nagar nigam administration is busy giving a new look to the Nigam House for new office-bearers. Ten additional seats have been added besides mike and close circuit TV cameras etc.
Counting of votes would begin at 8 am on Monday and hundreds of government servants would be deployed for carrying out the process.
Low voting adds to candidates' woes
Gorakhpur:With no clear picture emerging even after poll, political experts were having different opinion regarding the trends in polling. But they admitted neck-and-neck fight between SP candidate for mayoral post Sitaram Jaiswal and BJP candidate Anju Chaudhary.
The fate of all 18 candidates for mayoral post and 639 candidates for the corporators’ post for 70 wards are sealed in ballot box.
These boxes are kept in strong room at Mahewa Mandi under tight security. The counting would take place on November 6 and till then the speculations would continue.
Low percentage of polling has also increased the worries of the candidates and their supporters. According to district administration only 42.99 per cent polling was recorded on Tuesday after last report in the election office.
Earlier the polling was set to be around 48 to 50 per cent. The low polling can cast its shadow over the result and can register the political equation.
However, state minister Jaiprakash Yadav was confident about the victory of SP candidate. He said the party was united and every worker has tried his best to ensure the victory of Sitaram Jaiswal.
Contrary to it, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath claimed victory of BJP candidate by a huge margin. He said the polarisation of minority votes in favour of SP candidates triggered off polarisation of Hindu community votes which help the BJP candidate. ‘Chances of her victory are very bright’, he added.
He also said that Muslim votes were divided between Apna Dal candidate Arif and NLP candidate Mohammad Islam.
District unit president of BSP Ravikul has his own logic.
He said that there were a tri-angular fight among SP, BSP and BJP for the mayoral post and BSP supported Chhedi Jaiswal could emerge a victorious due to low polling.
It is notable that out of total 6.42 lakh electorates, only 2.74 lakh voters exercised their franchise.
In the last hour, polling percentage was increased, while in the inner wards of the corporation, the SP was looking dominant at various polling stations. In outer wards, BJP candidates Anju Chaudhary position was claimed to be sound.
