No victory rallies this time post results: DM

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, Siliguri, 13 May 2014: For the first time probably, the Darjeeling district magistrate has passed an order to political parties to refrain from hold victory rallies after the poll results are declared on May 16.

Darjeeling DM Punit Yadav today said the administration will not allow any victory rally after the counting process is over. This is in compliance with a directive of the Election Commissioner urging for maintaining law and order in town areas.

Yadav today conducted a meeting at the circuit house in Siliguri where the Siliguri commissioner of police, the SDO and political party representatives were present.

According to the DM, counting for the three Mahakumas of the hills is to be held at the Gorkha Rangashala Bhawan in Darjeeling, while Siliguri College is the venue for counting for the four Mahakumas of the plains, beginning 8am on May 16.

He added to facilitate counting with considerable quickness, a request has been sent to the EC to increase the number of tables in both Darjeeling and Siliguri. Hence, the single table allotted for counting purposes has been increased to four this year.

Yadav has also requested the EC to increase the counting tables for electronic ballot from 14 to 20. He said the counting process will be completed in 23 rounds this time.

Meanwhile, Siliguri police commissioner Jag Mohan said for peace-keeping purposes, 250 metropolitan police jawans will be deployed in the counting centres along with himself and four assistant police commissioners.

He said, “I will be present at the counting venues until the entire process is over,” adding three security personnel will be posted to guard the counting centres with a district police representative be in the first corner, a state armed force jawan in the second and a para-military force personnel in the third. He said law and order will be maintained by the district and state armed police, while the para-military forces will be deployed to conduct the counting process. There will also be ‘Naka Checks’ throughout town areas.