There are around 339 counting venues spread across 22 districts.
New Delhi:
The counting of votes for the three-tier panchayat polls to nearly 74,000 seats in West Bengal began on Tuesday morning amid tight security, officials said.
There are around 339 counting venues spread across 22 districts.
“The counting, which began at 8 am, is likely to continue for the next two days. It will take time for the ballots to be counted and the results to be compiled. We are hopeful that a trend will be available by the end of the day,” an SEC official said.
All the counting venues will be manned by armed state police personnel and central forces, with prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC being imposed outside the venue to avoid any untoward incidents.
Here are the LIVE updates Bengal rural poll counting:
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Services Affected In Kolkata As migrants Return To Villages For Rural Polls
Services were affected in Kolkata as migrants employed in sectors ranging from domestic work to hospitality and transport went to their homes in villages to cast their vote in the West Bengal panchayat elections, and many are yet to rejoin work.
Commuters also faced a harrowing time as many buses and other vehicles were requisitioned for election duty. Restaurants and street food joints were also affected due to the exercise.
Shiladitya Choudhury, owner of a chain of restaurants in the city, said, “On the polling day on Saturday (July 8), we barely managed with only around 40 per cent of the staffers. We had kept our menu short on that day.”
Owner of a roadside eatery in Salt Lake Sector V, the IT hub of the city, said pressure had mounted on his stall not only because some of his workers had left but also because other nearby shacks were shut.
#WATCH | West Bengal BJP MLA & general secretary Agnimitra Paul says, “…people were murdered in this Panchayat election and our CM & ‘Bhaipo’ who made tall claims that this will be a peaceful election have not made any statement. There was firing & bombing in my constituency,… pic.twitter.com/CM2afy5xFy
– ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2023
Security personnel open lathi charge to disperse a large number of people who gathered outside a polling station in Howrah. They were reportedly attempting to enter the counting centre.
#WATCH | West Bengal panchayat election | Security personnel open lathi charge to disperse a large number of people who gathered outside a polling station in Howrah. They were reportedly attempting to enter the counting centre.
Counting of votes of Panchayat election is taking… pic.twitter.com/j8HRWcnGLC
– ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2023
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