Pune (Maharashtra) [India], January 16 (ANI): Heavy security has been deployed outside the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) D Ward Regional Office ahead of the Maharashtra local body poll counting scheduled for today.

Voting results for the state's 29 municipal corporations are expected to be announced from 10 am onwards.

Speaking to ANI, DCP Vishal Gaikwad said, 'The counting process is about to begin sometime in the D ward here. We have deployed appropriate arrangements... There is 1 riot-control police platoon, 7-8 officers and 100 policemen.'

Meanwhile, vote counting for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections will begin today at 10.00 am across 23 designated counting centres in Mumbai, Municipal Commissioner and District Election Officer Bhushan Gagrani said.

The recently concluded Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recorded a voter turnout of 52.94 per cent, according to the data released by the State Election Commissioner (SEC) on Friday. The elections for India's richest municipal corporations, which concluded on Thursday, were marred with allegations by the Shiv Sena (UBT)- MNS alliance, and subsequently refuted by the SEC.

The elections, which were conducted after a gap of eight years, marked a significant civic exercise for Mumbai. The previous BMC elections were held in 2017, while the term of the last elected mayor, Kishori Pednekar, ended in March 2022. With the completion of the polls, Mumbai is set to get a new mayor after nearly four years.

The counting process will be conducted in strict compliance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Model Code of Conduct. Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure smooth conduct of the process, including security deployment, traffic management, and maintenance of law and order across the city. The detailed plan for vote counting has been approved by the Municipal Commissioner, the BMC said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the BMC, 23 Returning Officers have been appointed for the 227 election wards within the municipal limits. Strong rooms and counting venues under the jurisdiction of each Returning Officer have been designated for the process and have received the necessary approvals from the Public Works Department and the Police Department. (ANI)