Counting of votes for all 243 constituencies in the Bihar Assembly election began on Friday under elaborate, multi-tier security arrangements.
The process started at 8 a.m. with the counting of postal ballots, followed by the opening of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at 8:30 a.m.
A multi-layered security cordon has been put in place across 46 counting centres in 38 districts. The innermost tier around the strongrooms and counting halls is secured by the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), while the outer perimeter is guarded by the Bihar Police and district police teams.
More than 106 companies of security personnel from outside the state have also been deployed. Strongrooms housing EVMs and VVPATs have remained under 24/7 CCTV surveillance since the end of polling. Candidates and their agents were permitted to monitor the security arrangements outside the inner perimeter.
Gayaji SSP Anand Kumar said, “All necessary preparations have been completed. Every strongroom has a three-layer security arrangement. All entry points and sensitive areas around the venue have been secured with adequate deployment of Central Armed Police Forces.”
In Bhojpur, Superintendent of Police Raj said, “As per guidelines, all arrangements have been made. Security barricades have been set up across the town, and similar measures have been taken in subdivision areas. A total of eight CAPF companies have been deployed in the district for law and order.”
Bhagalpur Municipal Commissioner Shubham Kumar said, “Counting is underway for the Gopalpur, Bihpur, and Sultanganj Assembly seats. A magistrate has been deployed at each location. All candidates have been informed, and their polling agents are being provided entry.”
The counting process is being supervised by 243 Returning Officers and 243 Counting Observers appointed by the Election Commission. More than 18,000 counting agents of various candidates are also present. Only individuals with valid passes are allowed inside counting centres, and mobile phones remain prohibited inside counting halls.
The Election Commission has advised the media and the public to rely solely on the official results portal for accurate updates. Real-time results and trends are available on the ECI website and the Voter Helpline App.
–IANS