Jaunpur (UP), Jun 1 (PTI): India cricketer Rinku Singh will get engaged to Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj on June 8 in Lucknow, politician's father Toofani Saroj confirmed on Sunday. The wedding is slated for November 18 this year. It will be a traditional affair at the Hotel Taj in Varanasi. Invitations are expected to be extended to prominent personalities from the world of cricket, Bollywood, business, and politics.

Rinku, 27, has played 2 ODIs and 33 T20Is for India in last couple of years and is an important member of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders. The 26-year-old Priya is a first time MP from Jaunpur's Machhlishahr constituency.

Toofani, a two-time former Samajwadi Party MP informed that the "engagement ceremony will be an intimate affair, attended by close family members, friends, and relatives".

The marriage was fixed with mutual consent after both families met in Aligarh.

“Rinku and Priya have known each other for some time. They met through Priya’s friend’s father, who is a cricketer himself. With the blessings of both families, they decided to get married,” the would be bride's father told mediapersons.

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Patna (PTI): Elaborate security arrangements have been made for Friday’s counting of votes polled in the Bihar assembly elections, across 46 centres in 38 districts of the state, officials said.

Schools in Patna will remain closed on Friday in view of the counting exercise, they said.

Bihar had registered a historic voter turnout of 67.13 per cent in the elections to the 243-member assembly in two phases on November 6 and November 11. A total of 7.45 crore voters were eligible to decide the electoral fate of 2,616 candidates.

“Counting arrangements have been made in all the 243 assembly constituencies. The exercise will be conducted by 243 Returning Officers in the presence of 243 Counting Observers and the candidates or their agents.

“A total of 4,372 counting tables, each staffed with one supervisor, counting assistant and micro-observer have been set up. More than 18,000 Counting Agents appointed by the nominees will also oversee the process,” the Election Commission said in a statement.

Counting of votes will commence at 8 am on Friday.

“As per the Commission’s directions, postal ballot counting will begin first, and counting of EVMs will start at 8.30 am,” it said.

“Adequate number of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and personnel of the Bihar Police have been deployed across the state to ensure smooth counting, and prevent any untoward incident,” a senior officer said.

He said 106 companies of security personnel from outside the state have also been deployed.

A poll official said EVMs and VVPATs used in the elections have been sealed inside strong rooms under a double-lock system.

“A two-tier security has been ensured at the counting centres. While the inner tier has been assigned to the CAPF, state police have been deployed at the outer rung. Besides, 24/7 CCTV surveillance and other security provisions are in place,” he added.