CURATED BY – GAURAV SINGHAL | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Saharanpur, A meeting was convened with the candidates and their representatives regarding the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha General Election 2024 in the new auditorium located at the Collectorate under the chairmanship of District Election Officer Dr. Dinesh Chandra. On this occasion, representatives of all parties praised the voting held in the district on April 19 under the leadership of the District Election Officer. In the meeting, the District Election Officer gave point-wise information about the preparations being made to conduct the counting of votes safely and smoothly and all the candidates were asked to complete the process of appointment of counting agents by the stipulated time. Detailed information was given about the process of appointment of agents. He said that round-wise information of counting of votes will be made available for each assembly and Lok Sabha constituency. He assured that the entire process of counting of votes will be completed in a safe, transparent and fair manner as per the guidelines given by the Hon'ble Election Commission of India. Counting of votes will be done in 29 rounds for Saharanpur Lok Sabha assembly constituencies Behat, 33 rounds for Saharanpur Nagar, 28 rounds for Saharanpur, 27 rounds for Deoband and 24 rounds for Rampur Maniharan. Similarly, counting of votes will be done in 28 rounds for Nakur and 29 rounds for Gangoh of Kairana partial Lok Sabha constituency. Dr Dinesh Chandra told that 14$1=15 tables will be set up for counting of votes at the counting place, in which one table will be for assistant returning officer and 14 tables will be for counting. 10 tables will be set up for counting of postal ballot papers. One agent will be appointed on each table. For counting of votes, 01 counting supervisor, 01 counting assistant, 01 micro observer and 01 fourth class employee will be appointed on one table. First of all, the ballot papers received by post will be counted. For counting of postal ballots, separate counting supervisor and counting assistant will be appointed separately. As per the instructions of the Election Commission of India, the slips of VVPAT machines of 05 polling stations of each assembly will be matched by the concerned ARO on the basis of random selection lottery in the presence of candidates and election agents and general observer. The strong room will be opened in front of the candidates and election agents present at 6:00 am on 4 June 2024. For the appointment of counting agent, the prescribed format-18 (in 02 copies) will be filled and provided to the Assistant Returning Officer of the concerned assembly constituency along with 02-02 photographs, writing the name of the counting agent behind the photo. It is necessary for the candidate and election agent to bring the second copy of format-18 with them, without this, permission will not be given to enter the counting room. Vehicles of candidates and counting agents will be parked in the grounds of Maharaj Singh Degree College. Vehicles of counting personnel will be parked in the grounds of Parag Dairy in front of the main gate of Central Warehouse Janta Road Saharanpur. The pass issued to the counting agent will be non-transferable and the counting agent will not be allowed to go from one hall to another and the counting agent will not go from his designated table to another table. Mobile phones, I-pads, laptops, electronic devices, matchboxes and weapons etc. will not be allowed in the counting hall and smoking is completely prohibited. Only pass holders and persons authorized by the Commission will be allowed entry into the counting center. After the declaration of the counting results, there is a complete ban on the winning candidate taking out a procession etc. The District Election Officer said that the following persons cannot be appointed as counting agents of a candidate- Counting agent should not be less than 18 years of age, sitting minister of Central Government or State Government, Member of Parliament or Member of State Legislative Assembly, Mayor of Municipal Corporation or Chairman of Municipality, District Council, Panchayat Union, Chairman and Member of Central Undertakings, State Undertakings, Government Bodies, Corporation, Persons receiving any kind of honorarium from the government or working part-time in any government, government-aided institution, paramedical, health workers working in government, government-aided institutions, fair price shop dealers, Anganwadi workers, Government servants (This is an offence and under section 134A of the Representation of the People Act 1951, such appointees can be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three months, or fine or both. Any person who has been provided security cover by the State (Central and State Governments) will not be appointed as election agent or counting agent of the candidate, whether he surrenders his security or does not do so. Leave it and such persons cannot enter the counting hall with or without their security personnel. Chief Development Officer Sumit Rajesh Mahajan, Additional District Magistrate Finance and Revenue Rajneesh Kumar Mishra, City Magistrate Gajendra Kumar, all SDMs, Shabnam, Rashid Ali Khan, Amjad Ali, representative of Majid Ali, Choudhary Salim Akhtar, representative of Iqra Hasan, Sudhanshu Dhangar and Vipin Jain, Virendra Pundir from BJP, Choudhary Abdul Gafoor from SP and representatives of other parties were present in the meeting.