More than 650 count observers have been deployed in 5 states to monitor the process. (Represent)
New Delhi / Lucknow / Panaji:
Political parties are preparing for the results of the council elections on Thursday in the key states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, nominating those who feel they may have ties. contact after the poll.
Before counting the votes, the Election Commission announced the dismissal of three officials, including the officer in charge of the EVM in Varanasi, after a major controversy broke out over the Samajwadi Party’s accusations that the electric voting machines has been illegally transported.
The exploratory panel also appointed the Chief Election Officer of Delhi as a special official in Meerut and the Managing Director of Bihar in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary seat, to oversee the counting of votes.
It is a highly profitable election in Uttar Pradesh for the BJP and the Modi government as the state sends the highest number of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha and the party’s performance is expected to influence the general election. The next election is scheduled for 2024.
Several opinion polls have forecast a clear majority for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and for the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, while predicting a hanging meeting in Goa and a tight race between the BJP and Parliament in Uttarakhand. Except for Punjab, all other states are in the BJP.
As the scenario after the poll could pose a surprise due to the compressed contests, the parties have sent senior leaders to the states and are also calling on other parties to ensure that they get better support from opponents in case outside support is needed to form a government.
The congress sent Karnataka Parliament head DK Sivakumar as special observer to Goa and general secretary Mukul Wasnik and Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo with Vincent Pala to Manipur.
The party lost the race to form a government in two states in 2017 despite emerging as the largest party.
The head of Goa’s Parliament, Girish Chodankar, told reporters that AAP leaders “have been negotiating with Parliament leaders” and announced that the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) would also support his party. .
The parliament moved all the candidates in the coastal state to a luxury resort in the village of Bambolim near Panaji before counting the votes.
Goa Premier Pramod Sawant was in the national capital on Tuesday to discuss the developing situation in his state with the BJP leadership.
More than 50,000 officials were deployed to count votes at nearly 1,200 halls in five states, and COVID-9 guidance will be followed during the exercise that begins at 8 a.m. amid tight security, according to reports. officials.
Uttar Pradesh, which has a maximum of 403 constituencies, will have more than 750 counting booths, followed by Punjab with over 200.
More than 650 counting observers have been deployed in five states to monitor the process.
An official in Lucknow said video and still cameras have been installed at all tally centers in UP.
A total of 250 companies belonging to the CAPF (Central Armed Police Force) were supplied to all districts and city committees of Uttar Pradesh on March 10, police said. According to officials, a CAPF company typically has about 70-80 employees.
If the BJP wins a majority in the 403-member National Assembly, it will be the first party to win a second consecutive term in more than three decades.
A spokesman for UP BJP, Rakesh Tripathi, told PTI: “At the UP BJP office, there was no special preparation, but there was enthusiasm from insiders.
On Tuesday, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the EVMS was “stolen” in a van in Varanasi but the Election Commission said the machines were meant to train officials on duty to control count.
In Uttarakhand, BJP Secretary General and strategist Kailash Vijayvargiya held meetings with former CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and other leaders.
Mr. Vijayvargiya had previously been active in the state’s politics at a time when the MLA Parliament uprising against then prime minister Harish Rawat led to the imposition of Presidential rule in the state.
The Congress camp is also closely monitoring the situation with party central observer Dipendra Hooda, party chief of Uttarakhand Devendra Yadav, head of polling campaign Harish Rawat and PCC chairman Ganesh Godiya organization. hold meetings.
While many exit polls have given the BJP or Congress a majority on the 70-member Council, some of them have predicted a close fight between the two main players or an assembly. dong hung – a scenario in which the role of independents and regional outfits such as AAP, SP, BSP and UKD would become important in government formation.
The BJP and Congress are locked in straight competitions over 40 to 45 seats, while the regional outfit makes the fight a triangle over 25-30 seats.
Major parties are also keeping an eye on insurgents joining the fight as independents against their official nominees.
This time, 13 people rebelled from the BJP and 6 from the Congress.
Parliamentary Secretary General Ajay Maken and spokesman Pawan Khera have been dispatched to Punjab, where they are betting on Prime Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to stay in power following an uprising by veteran leader Amarinder Singh.
Punjab National Assembly Speaker Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday said the first meeting of the Parliament legislative party will be held on Thursday after the results of the Punjab Parliament polls are announced.
The party is self-ruling in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and is part of the governing coalition in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP hopes to make history by coming to power in Punjab also after ruling in Delhi for seven years.
A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgender people, are vying for 117 seats.
Although many opinion polls predict that the Parliament will not be able to form a government for the second time in a row, the leaders of the Punjab Parliament still insist that their party will secure victory.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) head Sukhbir Badal has announced that his party, holding elections allied with the Bahujan Samaj Party, will win more than 80 seats.
The BJP has said they will make impressive profits while former prime minister Amarinder Singh said that the party, the Punjab Lok Parliament and the BJP have done well in the elections.
With opinion polls predicting a BJP victory in Manipur, the party’s state office in central Imphal is upbeat with workers busy cleaning the premises and raising new party flags on the boundary wall. .
The party contested all 60 seats.
However, former Minister and Leader of Parliament Okram Ibobi Singh also expressed confidence that his party will return to power.
To prevent a repeat of 2017, when Congress was the largest party with 28 seats but could not form a government, Singh said the MLA party this time would take “precautionary measures like in the same place”.
The congress announced a coalition ahead of the poll with CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, RSP and JD(S).
