Guwahati, April 29: The Election Commission of India has made elaborate arrangements for the counting of votes on May 4 for all 126 Assam assembly constituencies that went to polls on April 9. Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel announced that around 8,500 officials will be engaged in the process to ensure transparency and efficiency.

Addressing a press conference, Goel said that 40 counting centres have been set up across Assam’s 35 districts. While most districts will have a single centre, Kokrajhar, Tinsukia and Jorhat will each have two, and Nagaon will host three. To maintain neutrality, 126 senior IAS officers from outside the state have been appointed as counting observers, supported by 2,348 micro-observers drawn from central government services. A total of 5,981 personnel, primarily from the state government, will handle the main counting work.

Assam recorded its highest-ever voter turnout in this election, with 85.96 percent of the state’s 2.51 crore electorate casting their votes, surpassing the previous record of 84.67 percent in 2016.

Security has been tightened across the state, with 25 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) guarding strong rooms and counting centres, backed by 13 companies of state armed police. On counting day, an additional 800 unarmed police personnel will assist in the movement of EVMs, while 93 companies of state armed police and 85 Assault Groups will be on duty to prevent any untoward incidents. Goel assured that strong room security remains uncompromised, dismissing opposition allegations of lapses.

Since March 15, enforcement agencies have seized items worth ₹114.43 crore, including liquor and cash, as part of the election monitoring process. Voting was conducted in a single phase across 31,490 polling stations, with 722 candidates, including 59 women, contesting for seats in the Assam Legislative Assembly.