Counting of votes for Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly elections has begun. Most of the results in the three states are expected by this afternoon.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful counting of votes. While Tripura went to the polls on the 14th of this month, elections were held in Meghalaya and Nagaland on 23rd February. There are 60 members in each Assembly in all the three states.
Postal ballot will be counted first and later the counting from electronic voting machines will be taken up.
In Tripura, the CPIM is contesting 55 seats and has left 5 seats for its alliance partner CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc. The Congress has put up candidates on 48 seats and has left the remaining seats for its alliance partner Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura, INPT and one seat for National Conference of Tripura, NCT. The BJP is contesting 46 seats. There are 249 candidates in all for 60 member assembly.Our correspondent reports that in Nagaland, the Naga People's Front is contesting all the 60 seats. The Congress is contesting 57 while the NCP has put its candidates on 15 seats. The BJP is contesting 11 seats. Counting has begun simutaneously in all the 12 district headquarters in the state. Our correspondent says that most of the results will be out by 2 pm.
In Meghalaya, the Congress is contesting in all the 60 seats while the United Democratic Party has put up its candidates in 50 seats.The National People's Party is contesting 32 seats, NCP-21 and BJP-13. In all there are 345 candidates, rest belonging to regional parties and Independents.
In West Bengal, counting of votes for Assembly bye-elections in Nalhati, Englishbazar and Rejinagar seats has also begun at 8 this morning. Counting of votes has also been taken up for Moga assembly constituency in Punjab. Polling in these constituencies was held last Saturday. The News Services Division of All India Radio will bring you special live bilingual discussion on the counting of votes in these states. It can be heard from 8.35 AM to 12 noon on Indraprastha and FM Rainbow channels.