NewsIndia

On the day of vote counting, Vishnu Pooja was conducted for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. This ceremony took place amid significant electoral processes in Kerala and West Bengal.

Vote counting commenced at 8:00 AM across 140 centers in Kerala. Postal ballots were counted first, followed by EVM results starting at 8:30 AM. In West Bengal, counting occurred for 293 constituencies, with a reduction of counting centers from 108 to 77 for enhanced security.

The Supreme Court mandated the presence of central government staff during the counting process. Strict security protocols were implemented, including QR-code identification at counting centers in Kerala.

Key facts:

• Vishnu Pooja performed under the name ‘Pinarayi Vijayan, Chothi Nakshatra’
• Counting of postal ballots occurred before EVM results
• Real-time results available on results.eci.gov.in and ECINET app

The Election Commission deployed 242 observers in West Bengal to oversee the process. This deployment aimed to ensure adherence to security protocols and transparency during the counting.

The atmosphere is charged as both the Trinamool Congress and other parties await the outcomes. Yet, no timeline has been shared regarding when final results will be announced.