All set for counting of votes for five state Assemblies tomorrow

New Delhi, May 12 (ANI): The counting of votes in the Assembly polls in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be taken up tomorrow.

Speaking to reporters here, Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Qureshi said that an elaborate three tier security arrangement has been put in place for the counting of votes which would start at 8 a.m.

The Election Commission has appointed 312 observers for counting of votes for Assembly elections in West Bengal. Altogether 87 counting centers have been set up in the state.

Quraishi said that counting would take place in 142 counting halls in Assam, 140 in Kerala, 11 in Puducherry, 234 in Tamil Nadu and 312 in West Bengal.

Elaborating the massive exercise of conducting the polls in five states with "all time record turnout in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal", Quraishi said a total of 14.16 crore electors exercised their franchise which was 20 per cent of the total 72.8 crore electorate.

Tamil Nadu alone accounted for Rs 60.10 crore, followed by West Bengal Rs 8.35 crore, Assam Rs 5.20 crore, and Kerala Rs 62 lakh.

In West Bengal, the result will decide whether the Communist Party of India led-Left Front Government will continue to serve a record fourth term or not.

Meanwhile, most surveys done by private televisions channels predicted a landslide victory for the Trinamool-Congress alliance, with one pegging the number of Left seats at just 60.

The Tamil Nadu poll outcome would be a test for Chief Minister M Karunanidhi government's performance in the state

The fate of AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa, Karunanidhi's son and Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin and DMDK actor-founder Vijayakanth will also be decided tomorrow.

In Assam, the result will decide fate of Revenue Minister Bhumidhar Barman, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Tourism and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain, Education Minister Gautam Bora from Batadraba, Social Welfare Minister Akon Bora.

While, in Kerala poll outcome would be a test for Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan's performance in the state.

In Puducherry, prominent candidates whose fate will be decided tomorrow, include Chief Minister V Vaithilingam, Ministers E Valsaraj, M Kandasamy, Malladi Krishna Rao, M.O.H.F Shajahan and A Namasivayam.

Puducherry recorded a turn out of over 83 per cent. (ANI)