Vote counting begins for Uttar Pradesh civic polls, results likely by evening

Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission is confident of releasing all results latest by 19:00 hrs the same day.

The results would reflect on the performance of UP ministers and BJP state unit's leadership as observers have viewed the civic elections as a litmus test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

While voting for municipal corporations was held through EVMs, traditional ballot papers were used for municipality and town areas.

Surprisingly, vote percentage increased in all but one district, Mathura. An increase of six per cent was reported in 74 districts as compared to the last civic elections that were held in 2012.

Meanwhile the SEC has banned victory procession and ordered a closure of liquor shops during the counting process.

The SEC has made 334 counting centres in 75 districts where votes of 652 local bodies would be counted. A total of 11,200 tables have been put on where around 56,000 counting personnel have been deployed.

Each table for counting of votes through EVM will have four employees while of ballot papers, five counting personnel.

State Election Commissioner (SEC) S K Agarwal said all measures have been taken for smooth conduct of the counting in all the 75 districts. A total of 11,200 counting tables have been set up in the state, of which 6,000 alone are for 16 municipal corporations.

"This would be for the first time that the certificate of the winning candidate would be uploaded on the Commission's website and it would be downloaded by the returning officer, signed and then handed over to the winners," he said. "We have set a target to complete the counting process by seven hours but, at any cost, all the results would be declared by 19:00 hrs."

Mr Agarwal also said for the first time, voters would also be informed by the Commission about the winners' names in their respective wards.

"Around 15 million voters have so far registered themselves with the Commission's website to get results. The results will be sent to voters through SMS on their registered mobile phones," he said.

The three-phase polling witnessed sporadic incidents of violence along with resentment among voters over faulty electoral rolls. Though no deaths were reported in 2017 civic polls in the state, 16 people were killed in poll-related violence in 2012 civic elections.

The total polling percentage in the elections was 53 per cent in first phase, in which voting was held in 24 districts on November 22. In the second phase on November 26 in which voting was held in 25 districts, the polling percentage dipped to 49.3 per cent. However, in the third and last phase on Wednesday, 26 districts went to polls and recorded a 58.65 per cent voting.

Following a large number of complaints of faulty electoral rolls in almost all the 75 districts, the SEC ordered the district administrations to investigate and initiate action against officials responsible for the anomalies in voters' lists.