All preparations completed for smooth, free and fair counting of votes on March 2nd, CEO

Amidst tight and three-tier security across 21 locations of the state, where counting of polled votes will be held on March 2nd simultaneously for all 60-seats, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura, Kiran Gitte on Tuesday reviewed the counting preparations.

CEO, Gitte along with District Returning Officer (DRO) and DM of West Tripura district Debapriya Burdhan on Tuesday visited two counting centers located at Umakanta Academy in Agartala and has also reviewed the entire preparations, where counting of polled votes for 14-assembly segments under West Tripura district will be held in 14 counting tables simultaneously on March 2nd.

Later, speaking with media persons Gitte said all 60 counting observers, appointed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that votes are counted in a free, fair and transparent manner, arrived in the state on Tuesday.

He said that this is for the first time in Tripura; the ECI has appointed a counting observer for each of the 60 assembly constituencies. All counting observers are IAS officers who are coming from various states across the country.

"Polled EVMs are kept in strong rooms in 21 locations at 21 subdivisions of the state except Jirania and Mohanpur subdivisions, where counting of votes of the constituencies fallen under these two subdivisions will be held at counting centers located at Umakanta Academy in Agartala. The EVMs will be taken up for counting in presence of the Election Commission-appointed observers, the CEO said and added that counting of votes will start from 8 AM on Thursday. There will be a three-tier security layer in all counting halls,  said Gitte and added that from morning 8 AM to 8.30 AM counting process will begins with counting of postal ballots and Election department has so far received 65,593 postal ballots and remaining postal ballots would be accepted till Wednesday evening, which are on way to arrival by postal delivery.

After postal ballot counting, the counting of EVMs will start from 8.30 AM and in Umakanta Academy , the ECI has set 14 counting tables for counting of 14 assembly seats simultaneously.

Gitte has assured all political parties, their leaders, agents and common people of an equally smooth and fair counting process on March 2 like February 16 assembly elections and added that all efforts to ensure a free and fair counting process has been taken by the ECI and there are no chances of any disturbing activities.