Counting of votes for Tamil Nadu’s Rural Local Bodies poll begins

CHENNAI: Counting of around two crore votes polled for 73,405 posts in Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) in 27 districts in Tamil Nadu began today at 8 a.m.,  In all, the votes polled in 1,83,959 ballot boxes will be counted.  Results are likely to come in after three hours and most of the results are expected by the evening.

The 91,975 RLB posts for which elections were held, the candidates for 18,570 posts were elected unopposed. Polling took place on December 27 and 30 and repolling in 39 booths were held on December 30 and on January 1.

The State Election Commission said three-tier security arrangements have been made at the counting centres in which 30,354 police personnel would be engaged. The counting process is being videographed.

The results for the following posts would be declared today – 58,609 Village Panchayat Ward Members, 9,214 Village Panchayat Chairpersons, 5,067 Panchayat Union Ward Members and 515 District Panchayat Ward Members.

Of the 2.58 crore of eligible voters, nearly two crore voters have exercised their franchise, mostly using ballot papers. In Melpuram panchayat union in Kanyakumari district alone, on an experimental basis, Electronic Voting Machines were used in 114 polling booths.