Counting of votes tomorrow at 8 am
Assembly Election results from 2021 tomorrow (May 2): Counting votes for five states — Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry — polls from March 27 to April 29 will be held tomorrow (Sunday, May 2). The Election Commission has more than doubled the counting halls to 2,364 from 1,002 theaters in 2016, given the raging Covid-19 pandemic. At least 15 rounds of sanitization will be carried out at each polling center. Officials told the news agency PTI that social distancing and other precautions, including a ban on gatherings, will be strictly followed.
Counting of votes will begin at 8 am and continue late into the night. As many as 1,100 counting observers will watch the entire process, and candidates and agents will have to produce a negative Covid test report or a double dose of vaccination certificate to get entry into the halls.
PTI reports a three-tier security arrangement in Bengal’s 108 counting centers; at least 292 observers have been appointed, and 256 companies of central forces deployed across 23 districts. In Bengal, the fight is mainly between TMC and BJP. In the last five years, the BJP has emerged as the second dominant political force in the eastern state. This election will decide whether Mamata succeeds in holding fort or losing power to BJP. The saffron party had just three seats in the 294-member Assembly in the 2016 Assembly polls. But it won 18 out of 42 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The Left-Congress alliance is the third main contestant, but its area of influence is limited.
In Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK and DMK are the leading players. Exit polls have predicted a massive win for MK Stalin’s DMK. The ruling AIADMK has a BJP alliance partner, while DMK has Congress. The EC has set up 75 counting centers across the state, and all arrangements are in place to smoothly conduct the exercise.
In Kerala, the Left-led LDF is seeking to return to power under the leadership of Pinarayi Vijayan. Here, the contest is between LDF and Congress-led UDF. The BJP, which had won just one seat in the last election, is confident of cornering some more seats this time. However, polls have predicted the return of the Left government.
In Assam, the ruling BJP faces a tough challenge from the Grand Alliance of eight parties, including the Congress and Ajmal’s AIUDF. The saffron party has an alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad, the United People’s Party Liberal, and the Gana Suraksha Party. Here, the polls have predicted the return of the BJP.
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