Counting of votes is being held today for the five phased Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand. The counting started at 8 in the morning under tight security.
In Jammu and Kashmir, counting has begun for all the 87 constituencies, which will lead to the formation of next Government in the State. The counting of over forty eight lakh votes is being taken up by the Election Commission at 22 district headquarters across the State. After every hour, the results of the assembly segments shall be declared. The J&K chief electoral officer Umang Narola told AIR that for ensuring a transparent mechanism in counting, adequate arrangements have been put in place. According to Election Commission sources the results of all the assembly segments is expected to be out till 4 p.m . The results will decide the fate of 831 candidates including the chief minister Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
AIR correspondent reports, despite the minimum temperature being subzero in Srinagar, the atmosphere in political circles here is filled with warmth of post poll alliance speculations. Though the final picture will emerge only in the afternoon today, the parleys have ?already begun for? ?the next government formation in the state where the experts have predicted for a hung assembly. All eyes are set on outgoing chief minister Omar Abdullah and Peoples' Democratic Party chief Mufti Mohammad Saeed among others, whose fate will be decided today along with over eight hundred other candidates. Notwithstanding the final outcome of the poll results, the people of Srinagar are hopeful that the new dispensation will take care of their plight as they have been ravaged by devastating floods a few months ago.
In Jharkhand, counting is being held at 24 places for all the 81 constituencies. About 4000 trained personnel have been deputed for the purpose. Ten to 31 rounds will be done to complete the counting of above 1 crore 38 lakh 51 thousand votes. Our correspondent reports that the political fate of 208 candidates, including 16 women will be decided today.
News Services Division of All India Radio will broadcast special programmes on the results of the Assembly elections in both the states immediately after this bulletin. It can be heard on FM Gold and Rajdhani channels from 8-30 AM till 12 noon and again from 9-30 PM to 10-30 PM.
