Tuesday, November 22 2005 09:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Counting of votes for the 243-member Bihar assembly began this morning (Nov 22, 2005) under heavy security.

Two companies of central para-military forces have been deployed at each of the 41 counting centres spread across 38 districts for providing inner security, sources in the office of state's Chief Electoral Officer and Home department told sources.

CPMF personnel and officers and jawans of the state police headed by magistrates are providing outer security at the counting centres where digital cameras have been installed at every counting table for photo-documentation of every stage of the process right from un-sealing of the electronic voting machines till the announcement of results.

Employees of the central government and those of its undertakings like banks and insurance companies have been engaged for counting of votes.

All agents of candidates and counting personnel have been given photo identity cards and taking mobile phones, matches, bags etc. Inside counting centres is prohibited.

Trends are likely to be available in a couple of hours an most results are expected to be known by five pm.

The fate of 2135 candidates, including 136 women will be decided. Heavyweights whose political future is at stake in the polls include Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former chief minister Rabri Devi, former speaker of the assembly and Bihar PCC president Sadanand Singh, state National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convenor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Nandkishore Yadav, state Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Abdul Bari Siddiqui and his Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Samajwadi party counterparts Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Deonath Yadav.