The EC is of the opinion that once the counting of the Zilla Parishad votes — the uppermost tier of the three-tier panchayat — is complete, the possibility of violence will get reduced.

“Once a clear picture emerges out of the Zilla Parishads, the crowd will thin out at the counting centres,” said S N Roychoudhury, secretary of the state election commission.

The Opposition parties on the other hand have completely different observation. “Zilla Parishad has the lowest number of seats, whereas Gram Panchayat has the largest number of seats. The process is impractical. After the Zilla Parishad results are out it will be clear which party will be ruling the district. Then violence will start,” said Manas Bhuniya, senior Congress leader.

Trinamool Congress chief, Mamata Banerjee, has alleged that the CPM cadres would try to manipulate the results just like what they did during the three-phase polls. “After the Zilla Parishad results are declared they will initiate violence, irrespective of whether they win or lose,” she said.

With situation tense in Nandigram, a local Trinamool leader Sisir Adhikary said, “We have asked all our supporters and agents to remain in and around the centres till the last vote is counted, as there are chances that after Zilla Parishad results are declared, party workers will lose interest and this will give the CPM cadres a chance to manipulate the Gram Panchayat votes.”

Opposition parties also alleged that by the time the Gram Panchayat votes would be counted, it would be evening thereby increasing the chances of attack on Opposition supporters.

Following a complaint lodged by Congress leader Bhuniya to the election commission and state home secretary where he expressed fears of CPM cadres trying to sneak inside the counting centres with forged ballots, the EC today said that it would screen every person entering the 329 counting centres set up in the 17 districts of the state.

“We have asked all district magistrates to screen people entering and leaving the centres,” Choudhury said.

The counting for the 35,688 Gram Panchayat seats, 8,798 Panchayat Samity seats and 748 Zilla Parishad seats will begin on Wednesday morning.