Patna, August 3: Preparations are complete for the counting of votes in the Bankipur Assembly by-election held on July 30. The counting will take place today, determining the fate of all 25 candidates.
The district administration and the Election Commission have finalized arrangements at the Arts Building of AN College in Patna for the counting process. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are secured under a three-tier security system, which includes 25 companies of central paramilitary forces and personnel from the Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP).
Approximately 100 security personnel will be deployed in three shifts, with a Deputy Superintendent of Police overseeing security during each shift. Only authorized officials, counting staff, and candidates or their representatives will be allowed entry into the counting area.
The strong room will be under continuous CCTV surveillance. It will be opened in the presence of candidates and their authorized representatives before the counting begins.
Results for each phase will be announced alongside the counting process. Votes from 422 polling stations will be counted in 30 phases. The counting will take place at 14 tables, with around 50 staff members, in addition to reserved personnel.
Counting will commence at 8 AM. Postal ballots will be counted first, followed by EVM votes approximately 30 minutes later. Initial trends are expected to emerge after noon, with the counting process likely concluding by around 4 PM.
Candidates and their representatives will receive QR code-based passes for entry into AN College. Access will only be granted after the QR codes are scanned.
The passes will be issued by Bankipur Returning Officer Raghvendra Pratap Singh. Although 25 candidates are contesting in the by-election, the main political battle is anticipated to be between the BJP, RJD, and the Jan Suraj Party.
Key candidates include Neeraj Kumar Sinha from the BJP, Rekha Gupta from the RJD, and Prashant Kishor from the Jan Suraj Party. This marks Kishor’s first direct electoral contest.
Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor has once again raised concerns about police actions during the election period. In a press conference on Sunday, Kishor alleged that Jan Suraj Party workers were detained without clear reasons in various locations, including Naubatpur, Fatuha, and Kankarbagh. He claimed that several arrests were made by plainclothes police officers.
Kishor stated that 18 individuals were taken into custody, including four from the Jakkanpur police station area.
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