Vote counting in Indira Nagar on October 20

PUDUCHERRY: The Election Commission of India has postponed to Oct 20 the counting of votes polled yesterday in the Indira Nagar Assembly bypoll here.The counting, which was initially slated for October 17, would now take place at 8 a.m. on Oct 20, according to a release from Chief Electoral Officer of Puducherry Belatee Pertin. The release did not cite any reason for postponement of the date of counting.The bypoll was necessitated after AINRC founder and Chief Minister N Rangasamy quit the seat on June 25. Rangasamy, who won from both Indira Nagar and Kadirkamam in the April 13 assembly polls, had retained the latter.Meanwhile, the Puducherry State AIADMK Committee Secretary A Anbalagan, MLA, told reporters today that he had written to the EC yesterday seeking postponement of the counting date as local body elections have been scheduled in neighbouring Tamil Nadu on October 17 and 19.He said he had written that the result of counting of votes polled in Indira Nagar, if announced on October 17 as per the earlier plan, would affect the prospects of political parties who are in the fray in civic poll in Tamil Nadu.