Counting of votes for Assembly polls tomorrow

New Delhi, May 12 (PTI) The six week-wait for who will
rule Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal
will end tomorrow when counting of votes for Assembly
elections will be taken up.
At sharp 8 AM, the counting process would start in 839
halls spread over in the five states involving 43,982
personnel.
The Election Commission has made elaborate
arrangements for the massive exercise and pressed into service
nearly 17,700 central security personnel to provide a
three-tier security.
The entire process, which would decide the fate of
several political leaders, would be videographed to prevent
any malpractice. According to Chief Election Commissioner S Y
Quraishi, the poll outcome is expected by "early lunch".
"Efficient and secure arrangements are in place for
counting and declaration of results", Quraishi said.
The counting would take place in 142 counting halls in
Assam, 140 in Kerala, 11 in Puducherry, 234 in Tamil Nadu and
312 in West Bengal. While Kerala has an assembly strength of
140, Assam has 126, Tamil Nadu 234, Puducherry 30 and West
Bengal 294.
A total of 14.16 crore voters exercised their
franchise in the five states which was 20 per cent of the
total 72.8 crore electorate in the country with Tamil Nadu and
West Bengal registering "all time record turnouts".
Stakes are high in West Bengal where post poll surveys
predict that Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress is expected
to oust CPI(M)-led Left Front which is ruling the state for 34
years.
CPI(M) is hopeful that like many previous occasions it
would prove its detractors wrong and romp home for the eighth
term.
In view of the political clashes witnessed in the
state in the run up to the elections, the Central forces will
stay in the state till May 23 to tackle the post-poll
situation as per the EC directive.
The surveys also gave a close finish in Tamil Nadu
where the two Dravidian parties, DMK and AIADMK vied with each
other to woo voters.
For AIADMK's Jayalalithaa it will be a battle to
return to power after a hiatus of five years. DMK, which
suffered setbacks on account of 2G spectrum scam and
corruption involving the first family members, is seeking a
second successive term.
In Kerala, the surveys gave a mixed picture with one
predicting an upper hand for the ruling Left Front.
In Assam, surveys foresee that the ruling Congress
would retain power.