Agartala/ Kohima/ Shillong, Mar 01, 2023, IANS
Agartala/ Shillong/ Kohima, March 1 (IANS): Counting of votes cast in the recently-held Assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland will take place on Thursday under three-tier security measures involving the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), officials said on Wednesday.
The poll officials said that prohibitory orders under 144 Cr Pc have been promulgated in and around all the locations of the counting centers as a precautionary measure.
Assembly elections were held on February 16 in Tripura, where 89.95 per cent of the 28.14 lakh voters exercised their franchise.
Officials said that votes will be counted in 60 counting centers in 21 locations across Tripura.
On February 27, 85.90 per cent of Nagaland's 13.16 lakh voters and 85.17 per cent of Meghalaya's 21.75 lakh electors cast their ballots.
Poll officials of the two states said that the poll percentage will increase after the calculation of postal ballots.
Thousands of polling staff, security personnel, and other workers engaged in election related duties, and 80 plus senior citizens and physically challenged voters cast their votes through the postal ballots.
Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) F.R. Kharkongor told IANS that vote counting will take place at 13 centres in all 12 district headquarters and one sub-divisional headquarter in Sohra.
Nagaland election officials said that the votes will be counted in 59 centers across the 16 district headquarters.
Balloting was not held in one Assembly constituency in each of Meghalaya and Nagaland, which have 60 seats each in the state Assemblies.
Polling was not held in Sohiong Assembly Constituency in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, following the death of United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate, H. Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh.
In Nagaland, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Kazheto Kinimi was re-elected unopposed from the Akuluto Assembly constituency after his only opponent and Congress nominee Khekashe Sumi withdrew his candidature.