Jharsuguda: The counting of votes for the crucial Jharsuguda Assembly by-poll began here on Saturday.
The postal ballots will be counted first and EVM votes counting will start after that.
Counting will be conducted on 14 tables. As votes polled in 253 booths will be counted, so there will be 18 full rounds and another partial round, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha, Nikunja Bihari Dhal informed.
Three-layer security arrangements have been made in and around the counting centre. Central armed police force, state armed police force and state police will provide the security during the counting.
As Jharsuguda has been witnessing a high temperature during the past several days, the counting hall has been made air-conditioned. All other arrangements have been made for smooth counting of the votes, he said.
A total of 79.21 per cent votes was polled as 2.21 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the by-election held on May 10.
The by-poll was necessitated following the death of then Health Minister Naba Kishore Das in January this year.
Though there are nine candidates in the fray in the by-poll, the contest is mainly between the BJD, BJP and the Congress.
The BJD has fielded Deepali Das as its candidate, while the BJP has nominated Tankadhar Tripathy. The Congress has fielded Tarun Pandey.
It was expected that the counting would be completed between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.