The long-awaited verdict for local civic bodies in Nagpur district is finally set to be delivered. After an 18-day suspense period following polling, the results for 15 municipal councils and 12 nagar panchayats, including prominent towns like Kamptee and Besa-Pipla, will be officially declared on Sunday, December 21.
The Counting Process and Security Protocols
The electoral process will commence with the tallying of postal ballots, immediately followed by the counting of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes at 10:30 AM. Officials have projected that the entire counting exercise and result declaration should be wrapped up within a span of three hours. To ensure a smooth and transparent process, approximately 800 administrative staff members have been deployed.
Stringent security measures are in force at all counting centres. These include a complete ban on mobile phones and mandatory identity verification for everyone entering the premises. The EVMs will be retrieved from their secure strong rooms at 9:30 AM, under strict supervision.
High Voter Participation and Ward-Wise Timelines
The elections for these local bodies were successfully conducted on December 2. Out of a total of 7,29,822 registered voters across the district, a significant 4,47,011 citizens cast their ballots. This translates to a robust average voter turnout of 61.25%. The gender-wise breakdown reveals 2,28,186 male and 2,18,823 female voters participated in the democratic exercise.
Kamptee, which boasts the highest electorate, will have a dedicated setup with six counting tables and 20 rounds of counting for each ward. In contrast, the counting for nagar panchayats will be conducted on a single table with 17 rounds. Voters can expect ward-wise results to start trickling in as early as 30 minutes after the counting begins.
Reason for the Postponement and Oversight
It is noteworthy that the counting was not held immediately after polling. Initially scheduled for December 3, the process was deferred to December 21 following a directive from the court. The entire operation will cover votes from 853 polling stations and will be managed under the watchful eyes of 27 returning officers and 27 assistant returning officers, ensuring adherence to all electoral guidelines and protocols.
