Counting of votes for Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh has begun. Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful counting. Most of the results are expected by this afternoon. Central government officials have been deployed as micro observer at every counting table. Election Commission observers will be present at counting centres throughout the counting process. Mobile phones are not allowed inside the counting centres and nobody will be allowed entry in the counting halls without a valid special pass issued by the competent Election Commission officials.In Gujarat counting is being held at 33 centres. Polls were held for 182 seats in the state in two phases on December 13 and 17. Our Correspondent has filed this report.
Political fate of all 666 candidates including 95 women will be coming out with today`s counting of votes. In five districts including Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Anand, Amreli and Surat counting of votes is being done at more than one place. In Surat and Ahmedabad counting is being held at three places each. In remaining 21 districts each it is being held at one place. First of all post ballets will be counted. About 8 thousand state and central government employees have been engaged for counting. Officers and employees from central government departments are being deployed as micro observer at every counting table. The Election Commission has developed special software which will help the data to be fed from the counting centres to the official website of the EC. Polling was held in the state in two phases and above 71 percent polling was recorded.

In Himachal Pradesh, counting of votes is taking place at 39 centres. Results are expected by this afternoon. 4,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth counting of votes. More from our correspondent:
From now on, it is just few hours more when the people’s verdict would be out that which political party is forming the next government in Himachal Pradesh. The counting of votes for the 68 member assembly has started to decide the fate of 459 contestents out of which more than 100 are Independents. Elections were held here on November 4th.The State Chief Electoral Officer, Narender Chauhan has told AIR that the postal ballots would be counted first. Electronic Voting Machines would be opened later. He has confirmed that the results are expected to be out by afternoon.