Kolkata: Amid tight security arrangements, the fate of more than two lakh candidates contesting on over 70,000 panchayat seats will be decided today in West Bengal. Each polling center is being manned by a company of central forces. The State Armed Police is also present. Inside the polling centers, CCTV cameras have been installed, and outside, Section 144 has been imposed.

Counting of votes commenced at 339 polling centers

Counting of votes commenced from 8 am on Tuesday at 339 polling centers across the state. The highest number of polling centers, 28, are in South 24 Parganas district. Meanwhile, candidates and their supporters from various parties have gathered outside the polling centers since 7 am. They are eagerly awaiting the completion of the vote count and hoping for their party’s victory over rival parties.

Results to be announced in three stages

The results of the tenth Panchayat elections in the state will be announced in three stages: Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, and finally, the Zilla Parishad. In each stage, the vote count will be conducted in two rounds. During the vote count in Gram Panchayats, there will be one counting officer and one counting assistant. Each candidate will have a polling agent accompanying them.

According to the State Election Commission, the vote count will begin with the EVMs first. Then, one by one, the vote count will be conducted for Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, and Zilla Parishads. The ballot boxes from Gram Panchayats will be brought to the strongrooms first. The vote count for Gram Panchayats will be conducted in two rounds. After the completion of the vote count, the ballot boxes from Panchayat Samitis will be brought to the strongrooms. The same procedure will be followed for the Zilla Parishads after the two-round count.

Location-wise vote counting centers

Alipurduar: 6
Bankura: 22
Birbhum: 19
Cooch Behar: 12
Dakshin Dinajpur: 8
Darjeeling: 5
Hooghly: 18
Howrah: 14
Jalpaiguri: 10
Jhargram: 8
Kalimpong: 4
Malda: 15
Murshidabad: 26
Nadia: 18
North 24 Parganas: 22
Paschim Bardhaman: 8
Purba Bardhaman: 23
Paschim Medinipur: 21
Purba Medinipur: 25
Purulia: 20
South 24 Parganas: 28
Uttar Dinajpur: 8