Imphal, Mar 10 (IANS): The counting of votes for 60-member Assembly elections in Manipur began on Thursday in 41 counting halls across 16 districts in the state amid tight security measures and following all Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), officials said.

Manipur Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agrawal said counting of votes are being held in all the 16 districts and there are three tiers of security put in place in and around the counting centres and adjoining areas.

He said that, the counting process began at 8 a.m. with the counting of postal ballots and the counting of votes polled in EVM would start at 8.30 a.m.

"To maintain Covid protocols and guidelines issued by the Election Commission, numbers of counting halls have been increased," the CEO said.

According to the election officials, around 89.3 per cent of the 20,48,169-strong electorate cast their votes in the two-phase election to the 60-member Manipur Assembly on February 28 and March 5.

This year's voting percentage is higher than the 2017 and 2012 Assembly elections, when 86.4 per cent and 79.5 per cent electorate had exercised their franchise respectively.

In all, 265 candidates including 17 female candidates of different political parties including Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, National People's Party and Janata Dal (United) contested the elections.

The results would clear the electoral fate of Chief Minister and BJP candidate N.Biren Singh, his cabinet colleague Thongam Biswajit Singh, former Manipur Chief Minister and Congress candidate Okram Ibobi Singh, NPP candidate and Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh, senior BJP leader Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Congress' Ratankumar Singh, Lokeshwar Singh, Saratchandra Singh, sitting party MLA Akoijam Mirabai Devi.