IMPHAL, Mar 10: Altogether 28 polling stations of eight Assembly Constituencies went to repoll today amid stringent security arrangement.
Briefing media persons at his Lamphelpat office today, Chief 
Electoral Officer (CEO) VK Dewangan said that polling parties who were assigned duty for the repoll would reach their respective district headquarters by this midnight.
Scrutiny would be done as soon as they arrive and the votes polled in the repoll would be taken into account in the counting of votes which would begin at 8 am tomorrow.
Repoll was held in four polling stations of Chandel AC, one polling station of Tengnoupal AC, one polling station of Phungyar AC, two polling stations of Ukhrul AC, six polling stations of Chingai AC, one polling station of Saikul AC, nine polling stations of Karong AC and four polling stations of Tadubi AC.
Poll percentage for today’s repoll is expected to reach 84 but the figure may change when all the final reports are collated. It is being speculated that the overall poll percentage for the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly election would be 86.61 but it may also change, Dewangan said.
District-wise poll percentages are Imphal East 89.57, Imphal West 89.38, Bishnupur 91.18, Thoubal plus Kakching 91.29, Jiribam 81.53 per cent, Chandel plus Tengnoupal 91.10, Ukhrul plus Kamjong 78.48, Kangpokpi 85.80, Senapati 88.91, Tamenglong plus Noney 80.68 and Churachandpur plus Pherzawl 69.21.
The CEO informed that counting of votes would be done over 350 tables in 33 halls at 11 centres. Votes would be counted in seven halls located within Imphal West DC office complex, two halls located within Imphal East DC complex and three halls each of Panchayat Bhavan and SIRD gymnasium.
Votes would also be counted in three halls of Bishnupur mini secretariat multipurpose hall and two halls of Thoubal DC office complex.
Two rooms of Chandel mini secretariat, one room of Ukhrul mini secretariat multipurpose hall and three rooms of the multipurpose hall located opposite to Senapati mini secretariat would also be used for counting votes.
Votes would also be counted in three rooms of Kangpokpi DC office complex, two rooms of Tamenglong Higher Secondary School, three rooms of Churachandpur District Training Centre complex and IWMP building and one room of Jiribam DC office complex.
Transportation of EVMs from strong rooms to training centres would be monitored using CCTVs. Candidates and their counting agents may watch the CCTVs.
Surrounding areas of all counting centres are being guarded by Central armed police force and prohibitions have been clamped around all counting centres under Section 144, CrPC, Dewangan said.
Votes cast through postal ballots would be counted first. The entire counting process would be webcast live on the CEO’s website and relevant websites of the ECI. Additional CEO RK Dinesh claimed that the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly election has been conducted successfully despite law and order problems and the indefinite economic blockade.
Around 6100 vehicles were used in the election. Unlike previous elections, DEOs and SPs have been making all efforts to pay hiring charges for all these vehicles within a week, Dinesh said. Out of 422 cases of violating model code of conduct, 408 cases were disposed.
To a query, CEO VK Dewangan said that around Rs 40 crore may have been expended in holding the election. But the exact figure and details cannot be ascertained as the bills are yet to be collated.
Source: The Sangai Express
