By IANS,
Kolkata: The counting process for the West Bengal assembly polls will be a time consuming affair because of elaborate security arrangements and the need to ensure transparency, a top Election Commission (EC) official said Wednesday.
“Because of the security arrangements and to ensure transparency, the counting process will be a time consuming affair and the declaration of the results might be delayed,” said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sunil Kumar Gupta.
Gupta said: “Votes for each constituency will be counted in separate halls. There will be 312 halls for the 294 constituencies out of which 18 have been allotted an additional hall each.”
An observer and a returning officer will be present in each counting hall.
“The counting halls will be spread across 87 counting centres with each centre wrapped in three tier security. Only the counting officials, observers, returning officer along with the candidates and their agents will be allowed to go past the third tier of security,” said Gupta.
The total number of officials involved in the counting process will be 14,500.
At least 75 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and a strong contingent of the state police will be manning the counting centres, while 144 companies of the CRPF will continue to be deployed across the state for 10 days after the counting process.
“The EC has called an all party meeting Thursday and urged the political parties to cooperate with us,” added Gupta.