<p>Ayodhya: Counting of votes for the Milkipur assembly bypoll began amid tight security on Saturday in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/uttar-pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</a>, election officials said.</p>.<p>They said counting of votes cast through electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be held on 14 tables at the counting centre.</p>.<p>According to the Conduct of Election Rules, postal ballots will be counted first and the process of counting of votes recorded in EVMs begin 30 minutes later.</p>.<p>After that, counting of votes cast through postal ballots and EVMs will continue simultaneously.</p>.Milkipur bypolls: Samajwadi Party candidate claims police, 'mischievous' elements instigating people to vote against him.<p>Since 2019, VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) slips from five randomly selected polling stations are matched with the EVM count for greater transparency.</p>.<p>The officials said paramilitary force personnel had been deployed to ensure security during the counting exercise.</p>.<p>More than 65 per cent of the total 3.71 lakh voters in the Milkipur constituency of Ayodhya district exercised their franchise in the February 5 bypoll, surpassing the turnout recorded in the 2022 assembly polls.</p>.<p>With the constituency part of the politically-significant Ayodhya district, the bypoll turned into a prestige battle between the Samajwadi Party and Uttar Pradesh's ruling BJP.</p>.<p>Ten candidates were in the fray but the main contest was between the Samajwadi Party's Ajit Prasad and BJP nominee Chandrabhanu Paswan.</p>.<p>The bypoll was held after Awadhesh Prasad of the Samajwadi Party vacated the seat following his victory in the Lok Sabha elections from Faizabad.</p>.<p>Even as the Samajwadi Party looked to retain the seat, the BJP saw the bypoll as an opportunity to avenge its loss in Faizabad.</p>.<p>In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Milkipur was the only seat the BJP lost in Ayodhya district.</p>
<p>Ayodhya: Counting of votes for the Milkipur assembly bypoll began amid tight security on Saturday in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/uttar-pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</a>, election officials said.</p>.<p>They said counting of votes cast through electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be held on 14 tables at the counting centre.</p>.<p>According to the Conduct of Election Rules, postal ballots will be counted first and the process of counting of votes recorded in EVMs begin 30 minutes later.</p>.<p>After that, counting of votes cast through postal ballots and EVMs will continue simultaneously.</p>.Milkipur bypolls: Samajwadi Party candidate claims police, 'mischievous' elements instigating people to vote against him.<p>Since 2019, VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) slips from five randomly selected polling stations are matched with the EVM count for greater transparency.</p>.<p>The officials said paramilitary force personnel had been deployed to ensure security during the counting exercise.</p>.<p>More than 65 per cent of the total 3.71 lakh voters in the Milkipur constituency of Ayodhya district exercised their franchise in the February 5 bypoll, surpassing the turnout recorded in the 2022 assembly polls.</p>.<p>With the constituency part of the politically-significant Ayodhya district, the bypoll turned into a prestige battle between the Samajwadi Party and Uttar Pradesh's ruling BJP.</p>.<p>Ten candidates were in the fray but the main contest was between the Samajwadi Party's Ajit Prasad and BJP nominee Chandrabhanu Paswan.</p>.<p>The bypoll was held after Awadhesh Prasad of the Samajwadi Party vacated the seat following his victory in the Lok Sabha elections from Faizabad.</p>.<p>Even as the Samajwadi Party looked to retain the seat, the BJP saw the bypoll as an opportunity to avenge its loss in Faizabad.</p>.<p>In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Milkipur was the only seat the BJP lost in Ayodhya district.</p>