New Delhi, Nov 14 (IANS) The stage is set for a crucial day in Bihar as the counting of votes for the Assembly elections will begin on Friday. With extensive arrangements in place and strict protocols to ensure transparency, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is geared up to deliver a smooth and credible counting process across the state.

Counting will take place across all 243 Assembly constituencies in the state.

According to officials, 243 Returning Officers (ROs) will oversee the process, assisted by 243 Counting Observers, in the presence of contesting candidates and their authorised agents.

A total of 4,372 counting tables have been set up, each manned by a counting supervisor, assistant, and micro-observer.

Over 18,000 counting agents appointed by candidates will monitor the counting process to ensure fairness and transparency.

The counting will begin at 8:00 a.m. with postal ballots, followed by Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at 8:30 a.m.

The ECI has directed that postal ballot counting be completed before the penultimate round of EVM counting.

During the EVM counting process, Control Units will be presented to the counting agents to verify intact seals and matching serial numbers with those recorded in Form 17C (Part I).

The number of votes recorded in the EVMs will be cross-checked with Form 17C entries, and in case of any discrepancy, VVPAT slips from the concerned polling station will be mandatorily counted.

After completion of EVM counting, a random selection of five polling stations per constituency will be made for VVPAT verification.

The slips will be matched with the EVM results in the presence of candidates and their counting agents.

The final results will be compiled and released round-wise and constituency-wise by the respective ROs.

Official results will be available on the ECI’s results portal — https://results.eci.gov.in.

The Commission has advised the public and media to rely only on the official ECI portal for accurate and verified updates, warning against misinformation from unofficial sources.

TV channels and digital media platforms have also been cautioned to ensure accuracy in reporting.

–IANS

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