Polling personnel wait outside Town Hall to collect documents regarding counting centres in Dhanbad on Wednesday. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad, Dec. 22: The fate of 12,065 candidates for the panchayat elections in the district will be decided tomorrow, as more than 1,800 polling personnel and officials will begin counting votes early morning at three centres.

The centres — Government Polytechnic Institute, Government Mining Institute and the Agriculture Produce Market Committee complex at Barwaddah — have allotted 391 tables for the counting of votes polled during the first four phases of the elections on November 27, December 6, 13 and 20 in Dhanbad.

Deputy commissioner Sunil Kumar Burnwal told The Telegraph that around 22 lakh votes were polled during the four rounds for the district’s eight blocks, namely Dhanbad, Sindri, Nirsa, Purvi Tundi, Tundi, Baghmara, Baliapur and Topchanchi.

Burnwal added that the polling personnel would report at their respective counting centres around 6am, while the strongrooms would be opened at 7am. “Counting, however, will start at 8am and the first results will start showing around 10am.”

“We expect counting to be over by 10pm,” said the DC, adding that the process would be completed in seven rounds, each having a duration of two to two-and-a-half hours.

The results of a maximum of 41 panchayats will be announced in the second round of counting, while the results of a minimum of 26 panchayats will be known in the seventh round. Approximately 56,000 votes will be counted at each table headed by an observer and two assistants.

Burnwal said an adequate number of security personnel would be deputed at the counting centres to prevent disruption by anyone, including crowds of candidates and their supporters.

The administration will award certificates to 2,554 winning candidates, which includes 2,017 ward councillors, 256 panchayat samiti members, 256 mukhiyas and 25 zilla parishad members.

Meanwhile, 499 candidates — 498 panchayat samiti members and a zilla parishad member — from the eight blocks have already received certificates prior to the elections, as they were the sole nominees from their respective areas.