Counting to begin with postal ballots

GANGTOK, 15 May: It will be postal ballots with which the counting begins today. At 8 am sharp the counting will kick off with the opening of the first postal ballot. Counting of postal ballots for the sole parliamentary constituency and for assembly constituencies will take place simultaneously with two tables each being provided for Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies.

While most postal ballots have arrived and are in the process of being collated and recorded by the respective Returning Officers, there is still time till 8 a.m., 16 May for any remaining postal ballots to arrive in order to be valid for counting.

Postal ballots are for service personnel who are engaged in election duty in the state as well as outside Sikkim; the postal ballots are also for those government officers who are deployed on election duty to various parts of the state. The total strength of postal ballots for the entire state is 11,850.

As of now the total number of postal ballots received for the single Parliamentary Constituency of Sikkim is 10,361. These will be opened at the East District counting room at TNA. The district wise break up for the parliamentary postal ballots is 1,719 for West, 735 for North, 2,751 for South and 5,205 for East District. Others make up for 1942 of the postal ballots to take the total to 10,361.

As per figures available for assembly constituencies in East District the total number of postal ballots received so far is at 4,303, the highest number for all the 4 districts. These include ballots cast by service personnel as well as officials on election duty. There are 52 postal ballots for Sangha voters in East District.

The highest number of postal ballots is from Chujachen followed by Gnathang Machong and Rhenock. West Pendam has the least number of postal ballots at 211; Gangtok has 250 postal ballots as of now and those received for Upper Burtuk is at 385 as of now.

The postal ballots received till date for constituencies of North district is 640 as of now with those for Kabi Lungchok at 305, Dzongu at 171 and Lachen Mangan at 154. Postal ballots for constituencies in West District are currently at 2392. Figures for South district were not available.