MALAPPURAM: Counting of votes for the Nilambur by-election will begin at Chungathara Mar Thoma Higher Secondary School at 8am on Monday. The officials said all the arrangements for the same have been made.
Postal ballots will be counted first; four tables have been set up at the school for this. As per the records, there are 1,403 postal votes in the Nilambur assembly constituency.
Then, the votes cast via the electronic voting machines at all 263 polling booths will be counted at the 14 tables set up for the purpose, in 19 rounds. Results of the first round will be out by around 8.30 am.
Votes from Vazhikkadavu panchayat will be counted first, followed by those from Moothedam, Edakkara, Pothukallu and Chungathara panchayats, Nilambur municipality and the Karulai and Amarambalam panchayats.
After the counting is done, VVPAT slips from the five polling stations drawn by lot will be counted in a specially set-up VVPAT counting booth in the presence of election commission observers.
The UDF expects a good lead for its candidate Aryadan Shoukath in Vazhikkadavu, Moothedam and Edakkara panchayats as well as in Chungathara. He is also expected to gain a slight lead in Nilambur municipality.
LDF is pinning its hopes on Nilambur municipality, and Pothukallu, Amarambalam and Karulai panchayats. Former MLA P V Anvar, who contested as an independent, is pinning his hopes on Pothukallu, Edakkara, Karulai and Amarambalam panchayats and Nilambur municipality.