From Lok Sabha Elections to by-polls: EC issues guidelines for vote counting on June 4

livemint.com:

Lok Sabha elections, bye-elections, and State Legislative Assemblies will be declared. District Election Officers, Returning Officers (RO), and Observers must fully comply with existing guidelines for counting arrangements in and around Counting Centers before the scheduled start of vote counting, the guidelines read as quoted by newswire ANI. Counting votes for a constituency will not begin if there are any pending ECI orders regarding an adjourned poll at any polling station(s).

However, if a re-poll at any polling station(s) is taking place on the counting day, the process for the constituency can commence. In this scenario, the penultimate round of counting should only begin after the re-polled EVMs and VVPATs from such polling stations are securely escorted to the counting hall.

The RO should read aloud the provisions of Section 128 of the Representation of the People Act 1951 and Rule 54 of Conduct of Election Rules 1961 to maintain the secrecy of the vote. Under Rule 60 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, counting shall be continuous without any interval, it said.“No unauthorized person should be present in the counting hall.

Under Rule 53(4), the RO has the authority to direct anybody to go out of the Counting Center, if anyone fails to obey the lawful directions of the returning officer," the poll body added. As per Rule 54A of the Conduct of Elections Rules 1961, the instructions for counting postal ballots specify that the counting process must begin at the Returning Officer's (RO) table.