Counting begins for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls

Counting of ballots cast in the Gujarat Assembly elections started on Thursday across 37 centres amid tight security.

For the first half an hour, ballot paper votes will be counted.

Counting of EVM votes will begin from 8.30 a.m.

Candidates with their supporters and counting agents have reached the stations.

Chief Electoral Officer P. Bharathi said a total of 3,16,06,968 votes will be counted. There are 3 centers, Surat (2), Anand (2), and in rest all districts counting will take place one center each.

She added that there are 182 counting observers, 182 election officers, 494 assistant elections officers, 78 additional elections officers, 71 additional election officers Electronically Transmitted Postal ballot system.

All counting centres are equipped with CCTV cameras.

Out of a total 4,91,35,400 eligible voters, 64.33 per cent cast their ballots, of which 1,69,26,152 were men and 1,46,80,371 women.

In the 2017 general elections, 2,94,64,326 votes were polled, with a voter turnout of 68.39 per cent, of which BJP polled 1,47,24,031, 49.05 per cent votes and 99 seats, whereas Congress polled 1,24,37,661 votes, 41.44 per cent and 77 seats.

Amidst a tight contest, the counting of votes for the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly began on Thursday morning with tight security arrangements.

The election was held on November 12, sealing the electoral fate of 412 candidates, including 24 women. A 75.60 per cent voter turnout was recorded, breaking the 2017 record of 75.57 per cent.

The counting of votes began at 8 a.m. at 68 centres in 59 locations.

The results will decide the political fate of BJP leader and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his 10 ministerial colleagues, besides Congress Legislature Party Leader Mukesh Agnihotri and former state Congress chief Sukhwinder Sukhu.


This small hill state has not seen any incumbent party returning to power since 1985. Since then both archrivals -- the Congress and the BJP -- ruled the state alternatively in eight terms.

With IANS inputs