Elaborate arrangements for counting in 168 centres

• Fate of 598 candidates in LS fray to be decided
• 3910 candidates in assembly segments testing their luck
• Counting to be held in 437 halls and 6955 tables
• 45 rounds in Malkajgiri LS and 18 rounds in Anakapalli
• 45 rounds in Kukatpally assembly segment and 13 in Charminar

Hyderabad: The stage is set for counting of votes in 42 Lok Sabha seats and 294 assembly segments in Andhra Pradesh as arrangements have been completed by the Election Commission at 168 centres at 78 locations across the state. According to EC officials, the first lead is expected to come around 9 am and the trends will be available by noon.

The outcome of counting is set to redefine broad political contours in both the regions. Winning candidates would become members of respective first Legislative Assemblies of residuary Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a certainly emotional moment for many.

The CEO on Thursday held a Video conference with district election officers, superintendents of police and police commissioners on Thursday to review the preparedness on counting. The Counting would begin at 8.00 am and postal ballots would be counted first.

The election officials selected 437 counting halls and 6955 counting tables and some 189 observers have been deployed for supervising the counting process by the Commission. Two additional micro-observers have also been appointed for each counting hall to assist the observers. Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal said that elaborate security arrangements have been put in place and 75,000 police personnel have been deputed at counting centers across the state, he said. The candidates will be allowed in the counting centers but not near the tables.

About 25,000 officials will be involved in the counting exercise throughout the state. Every counting table will have central government official acting as micro observer. There will be maximum of 45 rounds of counting in Malkajgiri parliamentary constituency and minimum of 18 rounds in Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat. In city a maximum of 45 rounds will be counted in Kukatpally and a minimum of 13 rounds in Charminar. Some seven EVMs of assembly and Lok Sabha would be placed in each counting table. Poll results of each round would be available in the www.ceoandhra.nic.in website.

In all 598 candidates are in the fray for 42 Lok Sabha seats and 3910 candidates for 294 assembly segments in the state, where the main fight is between Congress and the TRS in Telangana and YSRCP and TD-BJP in Seemandhra. Bitter campaigning marked the run-up to polls between principal contenders - Congress and TRS in Telangana, and TDP-BJP combine and YSR Congress Party in Seemandhra (residuary Andhra Pradesh).

The Congress which had won 33 of total 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2009 polls has seemingly ceded the ground in Seemandhra as the public anger is directed towards the party for dividing Andhra Pradesh to create Telangana. While the TPCC, TRS and TDP are gearing up for celebrations, the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday instructed his party workers to avoid celebrations in view of Kishanbagh incident.

Addressing the office bearers of MIM Owaisi said that no MIM candidate or worker should wear garland, burst crackers or hire bands if they win the elections on Friday. He said that the celebrations should be confined to exchange of greetings and thanksgiving prayers. It should be a very simple and low-key affair in view of communal violence and police firing at Kishanbagh which claimed three lives while over a dozen people got injured in firing.