Counting of votes for first-ever DDC elections in Jammu and Kashmir begins

Counting of votes for the first-ever DDC elections, which concluded on December 19, began at 9 am at all district headquarters across the Union Territory amid tight security

Counting of votes for the first-ever District Development Council (DDC) elections, which concluded on December 19, began at 9 am on Tuesday at all district headquarters across the Union Territory amid tight security.

Section 144 has been imposed by the administration in Doda to maintain the law and order situation. Three-tier security arrangements have been made to ensure free fair and smooth counting of votes. Counting agents of different political parties reached the centres.

State Election Commissioner KK Sharma said on Monday said that all necessary arrangements have been made for Tuesday's counting of votes in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sharma had also chaired the review meeting which was attended by all deputy commissioners (DCs) of Jammu and Kashmir through video conferencing while Secretary State Election Commission and other senior election officers attended the meeting in person.

The SEC said that the process in each centre will be supervised by a Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officer. "The counting exercise will be recorded by CCTV cameras and will be overseen by observers also," he said.

He said the counting will begin with the opening of ballot boxes and subsequently, these will be made into bundles of 25 each and compared with the actual number of votes polled in each polling station. The bundles will then be mixed together as per the counting guidelines.

Each hall will have dedicated tables and each table with counting assistants monitored by one counting supervisor.The SEC also said that COVID-19 protocols will be followed during the counting process.