The counting of votes for the by-poll to Gambegre constituency, which turned into a prestige issue for the NPP and Congress, will take place tomorrow.
The counting of votes will begin at 8 am at the office premises of the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner (Election).
As per the instructions of the Election Commission of India, postal ballots will be counted first at the counting table of the returning officer, and after 30 minutes the EVM counting will commence at the counting tables, the Election Department said.
A total of 14 tables will be used across the 51 polling stations.
A three-tier security cordon has been set up at the counting centre as an adequate number of CCTV cameras have also been installed at strategic locations, in consultation with the observers to ensure transparency and security during the counting, the department said.
The by-election was held on November 13, which recorded a 90.93 per cent voter turnout. The by-poll was necessitated following the resignation of sitting legislator Saleng Sangma of Congress, who won the Tura Lok Sabha seat earlier this year.
There are six candidates for the seat with the ruling NPP fielding the chief minister’s wife and practicing physician Dr. Mehtab Chandee Agitok Sangma who is pitted against Sadhiarani Sangma (Trinamool Congress), Jingjang Marak (Congress), Bernard Marak (BJP) and two Independents, Sengkrabirth Marak and Jerry Sangma.
While the contest is mostly triangular between the ruling NPP, Congress and Trinamool Congress, the NPP is confident of victory in the by-poll given the hard campaigning by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his ministers throughout the length and breadth of the constituency.
