Nuapada: The counting of votes for Nuapada by-poll will start at 8 am on November 14 under three-tier security arrangement. District Election Officer (DEO)-cum-Nuapada Collector Madhusudan Dash said on Thursday the counting will commence with postal ballots at 8 am, followed by EVM at 8.30 am at 14 tables. There will be 26 rounds of counting of votes, he said.

Of the 2,54,497 registered voters, 2,12,385 electors, including 1,03,817 male, 1,08,563 female and five transgender have exercised their franchise across 358 polling booths in the by-poll on November 11, he said.

Dash said three-tier security arrangement has been put in place with jawans of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) remaining in the inner cordon, while the State Armed Police will guard the counting centre in the middle level, and district police have been entrusted with maintaining law and order in the outer circle.

The DEO said after completion of polling on November 11, all EVM and VVPAT machines were securely transported to the strong room at National College, Nuapada, which is now under round-the-clock surveillance. As per the guidelines to maintain transparency, VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations will be tallied with EVM results. Counting agents of candidates and accredited media personnel will be present, and the results of each round will be shared publicly after every phase, the DEO said. Dash said the entire counting process will be CCTV-monitored and video-recorded.

Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R S Gopalan said the Nuapada by-poll has achieved a unique feat by recording an outstanding voter turnout of 83.45 per cent, which is the highest among the eight by-elections held in India on November 11.

Turnout of female voters exceeded that of male voters, which is an indication of a healthy society and its democratic values, he said.

As the electoral fate of 14 candidates in the fray is sealed in the EVMs, the three major political parties - BJP, BJD and Congress - are claiming that their nominee will win the Nuapada by-poll. The Nuapada by-poll was necessitated due to the demise of sitting BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8.

Though the by-poll’s outcome will not affect the Mohan Charan Majhi government in the State, it holds political significance for the ruling BJP, the Opposition BJD, and the Congress, as it’s the first electoral contest in the State since the saffron party formed its maiden government last year.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who visited Nuapada at least six times in the run-up to the by-poll, has taken it as a prestige issue.

Similarly, the election is also being seen as a test of BJD president Naveen Patnaik’s continued influence in State politics.