Staff to be allotted segments before two hours

Srikakulam: All the officials deputed for counting will be allotted to Assembly segments before the two hours of counting process. As per the Election Commission guidelines, the counting will start by 8 am on Thursday. To avoid pressure from the contesting candidates and management of officials and staff by the parties, they would be allotted segments and seats before two hours of counting process.

The Srikakulam has 10 Assembly segments of them seven segments Itchapuram, Palasa, Tekkali, Narasannapeta, Srikakulam, Amudalavalsa and Pathapatnam are covered under Srikakulam Lok Sabha segment and another two Etcherla and Rajam Assembly segments are covered under Vizianagaram Lok Sabha segment and remaining one Palakonda Assembly segment is covered under Araku Parliamentary segment. For each assembly segment, separate halls and 14 tables were arranged. After counting of postal ballots and service votes, the counting of EVMs will be started.

The number of rounds as per the constituency wise are: Itchapuram-22, Palasa-20, Tekkali, Etcherla and Pathapatnam 23 rounds each, Rajam, Palakonda and Narasannapeta 21 rounds each, Srikakulam-20 and Amudalavalasa-19. District collector and election officer J Nivas, joint collector KVN Chakradhara Babu, additional joint collector P Rajanikantha Rao have inspected arrangements at a private engineering college near Srikakulam along with election observers on Wednesday. On the occasion, they directed the returning officers, counting officials, staff and micro-observers to follow guidelines in counting to avoid disputes.

The district has 21,75,176 voters of them 16,32,583 cast their votes. All the contesting candidates mainly from TDP and YSRCP are discussing about results with their followers and are prepared to attend counting stations on Thursday after offering prayers to the God. The district administration deputed 1,364 staff for counting and 800 police for security arrangements. Superintendent of Police Nav Deep Singh Grewal reviewed security arrangements at counting centre on Wednesday and issued necessary instructions to officials concerned.