TARN TARAN, Nov. 14 -- Security has been tightened across Tarn Taran as the administration readies for the counting of votes for the Tarn Taran assembly bypoll, held on November 11. The counting will begin at 8am on Friday at the Mai Bhago International College of Nursing, Piddi village, where elaborate arrangements have been made under the supervision of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The Tarn Taran constituency recorded a voter turnout of 60.95% during polling on Tuesday, which was nearly 5% lower than the 66% turnout recorded during the 2022 Punjab assembly elections. The bypoll was necessitated following the demise of AAP MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal, who had won the seat in 2022. The administration has made tight security arrangements both inside and outside the counting centre to ensure a peaceful and transparent process. Returning officer Gurmeet Singh said that a total of 15 candidates were in the fray, while the "None of the Above" (NOTA) option was placed at number 16 on the electronic voting machine (EVM). He said two halls have been set up for the counting process - one for EVM votes and another for postal ballots. For EVM votes, 14 counting counters have been arranged, while seven counting tables have been set up for the postal ballots. Each table will have a three-member staff, including a micro observer, a counting supervisor and a counting assistant. Singh added that the counting will be conducted in 16 rounds, and the staff has been properly trained for the exercise. "All arrangements at the counting centre have been completed, and the entire process will be carried out in a fully transparent manner in the presence of the appointed observers," he said. A total of 15 candidates contested the byelection, with five being seen as strong contenders, setting the stage for a multi-cornered fight in this panthic seat. In the fray are former MLA Harmeet Singh Sandhu contesting on the AAP ticket, Karanbir Singh Burj representing the Congress, and Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, a retired school principal, contesting for the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The BJP has fielded Harjit Singh Sandhu as its candidate. Independent candidate Mandeep Singh is contesting with the backing of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh's Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), Simranjit Singh Mann-led SAD (Amritsar), SAD's breakaway factions, and other Sikh groups. The Tarn Taran seat falls under the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency and is considered politically significant in the region. The bypoll is being viewed as a litmus test for the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government, which has campaigned aggressively to retain the seat....