Mysuru:  District Urban Development Cell Project Director and Nodal Officer for Manpower and Training R. Loknath conducted training for 462 Counting Officials that includes a Micro-Observer, Counting Supervisor and his Assistant for each of the 14 tables in the 11 constituencies in the District, this morning at the Senate Bhavan here. The counting of votes for the 15th Karnataka Assembly will be held tomorrow (May 15).

Loknath, through a power point presentation, guided the Counting Officers through every step. He told them to take utmost precaution before announcing the number of votes that a candidate has garnered after every round. “Only after you are fully convinced that it is right should you announce the figures,” he said.

If the Counting Supervisor and his Assistant find any discrepancy in the EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) then randomly a VVPAT outcome should be taken and it is the Returning Officer who will take a decision on announcing the result, he said.

He also cautioned the Returning Officers that they have to be extremely careful before signing Form 20 (which declares a candidate as elected). “If there is an oral complaint from the agent of the candidate then you must ignore it and insist on a written complaint. If you still find that it is not in a proper format, then you can reject it,” said Loknath.

The Counting Supervisors and the Assistants should report to the Returning Officer tomorrow by 6 am. No one is allowed to carry mobile phones inside the counting centres, he said.

Rounds of voting: The high profile Chamundeshwari Constituency with high stakes for both Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and JD(S) candidate G.T. Devegowda has the highest number of counting rounds at 24, while T. Narasipur is the least with 16 rounds of counting.

The number of counting rounds in the other nine constituencies in Mysuru District are: Periyapatna-17, K.R. Nagar-18, Hunsur-20, H.D. Kote-20, Nanjangud-18, KR Constituency-19, Chamaraja-18, NR Constituency-20 and Varuna, in which CM Siddharamaiah’s son Dr. Yathindra is contesting, will have 19 rounds of counting.