Results for 200 wards expected by afternoon

Counting of votes will start at 8 a.m., says Gagandeep Singh Bedi

The Greater Chennai Corporation has deployed 2,400 staff members for counting of votes polled in the urban civic elections at 15 locations in the city. Speaking to media persons on Monday, Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the strong rooms will be opened at 8 a.m. and postal ballots will be opened first at 8 a.m.  “Counting of each ward is expected to be completed in one hour to one-and-a-half hours. Final results of the counting of all 200 wards are expected by afternoon. Each counting hall will have three micro observers. Results will be announced on the microphone at the counting centres. As many as 7,200 policemen will be at the counting centres,” said Mr. Bedi.

The counting centres for Wards 1 to 14 is at 714, Tiruvottiyur High Road; Wards 15 to 22 at Padasalai Street, Manali; Wards 23 to 33 at Ambattur-Red Hills Road, Surapet; Wards 34 to 48 at Kamaraj Nagar, R.K. Nagar; Wards 49 to 63 at Prakasam Salai; Wards 64 to 78 on Nammalwarpet, Puraswalkam; Wards 79 to 93 at Mogappair West; Wards 94 to 108 at Pachayappas College, EVR Periyar Salai; Wards 109 to 126 at Loyola College, Sterling Road Nungambakkam; Wards 127 to 142 at Meenakshi Engineering College, Vembuliamman Koil Street, Virugambakkam; Wards 143 to 155 at MGR Engineering College, Maduravoyal Adayalampattu Bypass Service Road; Wards 156 to 167 at 33, Ponniyamman Koil Street, Alandur; Wards 168 to 180 at Anna University, Sardar Patel Road, Guindy; Wards 181 to 191 at Jerusalem Engineering College, Pallikaranai; and Wards 192 to 200 at Mohamed Sathak Arts and Science College, Sholinganallur. A total of 14,000 postal ballots have been dispatched and 6867 postal ballots have been received by Monday. Postal ballots received after 8 a.m. on Tuesday will not be accepted, said Mr.Bedi.

Counting of votes in each of the 15 zones will be observed by IAS officers. In addition to the three-tier security at counting centres, arrangements for CCTV camera surveillance for each counting table have been made. Strong rooms’ surveillance by CCTV camera has been provided. Counting agents have been asked to come at 7 a.m. Counting agents will not be allowed to carry mobile phones inside the counting centres. Engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited have been posted at all the 15 counting centres. As many as 3,634 posters have been removed in the last three days and ₹2.55 lakh has been collected as fine. As many as 160 FIRs have been lodged for election malpractices in the city. Cash of ₹26.95 lakh and gifts worth ₹1.27 crore have been seized.

During the re-polling in two booths on Monday, 29.9% turnout was registered in Old Washermenpet and 47.36% in Besant Nagar.