By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The stage is set for counting of votes polled for Dhamnagar bypolls on Sunday. Know body knows, who win and who loss when the counting began at 8 am amid tight security.
If Raju Das, a BJD rebel and Independent, could able to manage around 15,000 to 20,000 votes, it would be very difficult for BJD’s Abanti Das to bring a surprise amid sympathy wave continued to guide BJP’s Suryabansi Suraj, son of late Saffron Party MLA, Bishnu Sethi.
BJP veteran Manmohan Samal’s pocket votes if polled in favour of BJP, Suryabansi Surja may likely to get an edge over his rivals BJD’s Abanti Das and Independent, Raju Das when counting take place.
The outcome may likely impact on 2014 general elections since both BJP and Congress gearing up to confront with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has been ruling this eastern State since 2000 with wining 5 consecutive elections. In last by polls, held in Jharsuguda, Jagatsinghpur , Pipili and Balasore BJD had won all these seats.
The CEO-Odisha Sushil Kumar Lohani said equisite arrangements for counting have been made at District Sanskriti Bhawan located in Samaraipur of Bhadrak town. About 14 large tables are in place for the purpose and the counting will be completed in 18 rounds. However, the Postal Ballots will be counted first.
Final results of the much-debated bypoll are expected to come out by around 2.00 pm yesterday, the CEO further said. A supervisor, an assistant supervisor and a micro-observer will be present at each of the tables.Elaborate three-tier security provisions have also been made by the district administration. Teams of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Odisha Police have been put into service.
