Counting Of Votes For Nagaland's Koridang Assembly Bypoll Tomorrow

All arrangements have been made for the counting of votes for the Koridang Assembly Constituency byelection in Nagaland's Mokokchung district, scheduled to be held on May 4, an official said on Sunday.

The bypoll, necessitated by the demise of sitting BJP MLA Imkong L Imchen, witnessed a voter turnout of 82.21 per cent on April 9, with 18,400 of the 22,382 registered electors exercising their franchise across 30 polling stations.

Six candidates are in the fray for the seat, including BJP nominee Daochier I Imchen, who is also the consensus candidate of Peoples' Democratic Alliance (PDA) government led by Naga Peoples' Front (NPF), Congress candidate T Chalukumba Ao, NPP's I Abenjang, and Independents Imchatoba Imchen, Imtiwapang, and Toshikaba.

Returning Officer of Koridang Assembly constituency, Nockpai Konyak, told PTI that the counting centre has been fully prepared with a structured stage setup, including designated tables for counting personnel, observers, and agents of contesting candidates to ensure a smooth and transparent process.

He said that counting will start at 8 am in the Mokokhung Deputy Commissioner's office in 10 tables for 3 rounds. Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place in view of the election-related violence reported on April 5 and 6, which claimed one life and led to damage of vehicles.

Multi-layer security deployment, CCTV surveillance, and strict access control will be enforced at the counting venue.

The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), currently stored in strong rooms under round-the-clock security, will be opened in the presence of candidates or their authorised agents on the counting day, following Election Commission guidelines.

Officials stated that counting personnel have been adequately trained and all necessary protocols are in place to ensure accuracy and transparency.

Results are expected to be declared by afternoon.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)