Counting of votes for Jharkhand civic polls underway

Ranchi (PTI): Counting of votes for the polls to 48 urban local bodies in Jharkhand is underway on Friday, amid tight security arrangements, officials said.

Counting of ballots began around 8 am, they said.

"Ballot papers are being segregated in the initial stage of the counting. The results, starting from ward councillors, are likely to come in a few hours," State Election Commission Secretary Radhe Shyam Prasad said.

Polling was conducted using two colours of ballot papers -- white and pink -- for the election of councillors and mayors or chairpersons, respectively, he said.

The elections were held on February 23, with over 63 per cent of the total 43 lakh voters exercising their franchise.

"Barring Dhanbad, the counting for 47 ULBs is expected to be completed by Friday night. The counting process of Dhanbad Municipal Corporation may go till Saturday as nine rounds of counting will be held there," Prasad said.

He said elaborate security arrangements have been made in the counting centres.

Elections were held for the posts of mayor and chairperson in 48 ULBs, and councillors in 1,042 wards across nine municipal corporations, 20 nagar parishads and 19 nagar panchayats.

There are 1,087 wards in 48 ULBs, but elections were held in 1,042, as 41 councillors were elected unopposed, three wards remained vacant after no nomination was received, and polling in one ward of Mango Municipal Corporation was countermanded following the death of a candidate.

As many as 562 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray for the posts of mayor and chairperson, while 5,562 aspirants, including 2,727 women, contested the posts of ward councillors.

The civic polls were not contested on the electoral symbols of the political parties, but candidates are backed by the outfits.