51.   Counting of votes will began immediately with results announced by Friday, the election commission said.

52.   Detailed figures were expected early Sunday, when counting of votes in the multi-tier elections was due to get underway.

53.   The Socialist Party alliance was leading in two constituencies where counting of votes was still in progress and Congress candidates were out of the reckoning in both places.

54.   Officials said counting of votes would start immediately in the presence of the polling agents of candidates and results would be declared by the returning officers.

55.   Once the polling is over, the ballot boxes are sealed and guarded by security forces round-the-clock until the start of counting of the millions of votes.