HYDERABAD: The stage is set for counting of votes polled in the Legislative Council elections for the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahbubnagar (HRM) and Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam (WNK) Graduate constituencies on Wednesday.
As a large number of candidates are in the fray — 93 for HRM and 71 for WNK constituency, along with the fact that a large number of voters cast their votes, the process is likely to take more time than expected. The preferential voting system will also make the process more time-consuming. Sources said the process might take more than two days if no candidate gets the required number of votes in the first round. Leads will be known only during the night.
More than 50% of votes needed
Any candidate securing 50 percent of the total valid votes plus one first preference vote will get elected in the first round itself. If that doesn’t happen, then counting will begin for second preference votes, and then the third preference votes. There would be an elimination process if none of the contestants get more than 50 percent of the valid votes.
A total of 1,600 counting staff would be utilised for the counting. Security arrangements have been put in place at the Saroornagar Indoor Stadium and all Covid-19 guidelines would be strictly followed. In 2015, the result for HRM was announced within half a day as the then BJP candidate N Ramchander Rao secured more than 50 percent of first preference votes. However, for the WNK constituency, counting took one-and-a-half days as none of the contestants polled over 50 percent of votes. It is estimated that it will take about 10 hours to count all the votes. Officials will remain vigilant until March 19 as the process could go on until then.
Preferential voting in play
Any candidate securing 50 percent of the total valid votes plus one first preference vote will get elected in the first round itself. If that doesn’t happen, then counting will begin for second preference votes, and then the third