KOTTAYAM: The counting of votes in the Puthupally by-election has started. Postal votes are counted first. The counting of votes is taking place at the center arranged in Kottayam Baselios College Auditorium. The counting of votes scheduled to start at 8 am, got a bit delayed. The strong room of the college where the voting machines were kept opened only at 7.45 am.

Counting of votes is done in 20 tables. The votes of voting machines are counted in 14 tables, five tables will count postal votes and one table will count ETPBS votes for service voters. There are 74 counting officers. 32 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel and an armed police battalion have been deployed for the security of the counting centre.

All the candidates are very hopeful. The UDF, LDF and NDA candidates said the low turnout will not affect them. Even when the polling percentage was low and high, the confidence of UDF is that the people of Puthupally will not think of anyone else beyond Oommen Chandy. However, in the absence of Oommen Chandy, the LDF assessed that the UDF will not have an easy walkover. The lead of Chandy Oommen has crossed 7000.

Even before the results were announced, the UDF workers had gathered outside Baselios College with pictures of Oommen Chandy. Activists claimed that Chandy Oommen would win with a majority of more than 40,000 votes.