Mysuru: Counting of votes polled for Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha Constituency is set to take place at Maharani’s College of Commerce and Management on Valmiki Road in Paduvarahalli (Vinayakanagar) on May 23.

Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar, who is also the District Election Officer, said that elaborate arrangements have been made for the counting process which will decide the fate of 22 candidates in the Constituency on the same day.  

Chairing an election agents’ meeting (agents nominated by political party candidates) held at his office yesterday, the DC said that counting of votes of every Assembly segment will be held at 15 tables. Likewise, 120 tables will be kept for all eight Assembly segments for counting of votes at the Counting Centre. As many as 336 officials will be deployed for counting process.

Counting will begin at 8 am on May 23 and early trends are expected to be available by 10 am. Prior to this, postal ballots that have been stored in the District Treasury Office will be brought to the counting centre with tight Police security at 6 am on the same day, he said.

Officials have to count votes recorded on Electronic Voting Machines. First, they will take up counting of postal ballots cast by service voters (officials on poll duty), he added.

Authorised election agents are barred from bringing mobile phone, chewing gutkha, smoking and moving from one counting room to another. Counting of votes will be carried out under the supervision of Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) or Assistant Election Officer (AEO). One ARO will supervise the counting of votes of one Assembly segment.   

The entire counting process will be videographed and also recorded through web cameras and transmitted to the headquarters online to ensure transparency. The District Admin has appointed adequate videographers in this regard, said the DC.

The strong rooms of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be opened at 7.30 am in the presence of candidates, their election and counting agents and other officials. Candidates and counting agents must strictly follow the directions of the Returning Officers and AROs. Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) counting will be taken up after the completion of EVM vote counting process, he said.

The Supreme Court has increased VVPAT verification to five random EVMs in each Assembly segment/ Constituency. As it is a general election, VVPAT slips of five EVMs in each Assembly segment of Mysuru-Kodagu Parliamentary Constituency would be subject to physical counting.

Two additional micro-observers will be deployed along with the observer. While one micro-observer will watch data entry in the computer, the other will tally the hard copy (printout) from the computer with the originals received from the counting table.

The observer and the Returning Officer have been asked to sign the compiled figures after verification. Results will be declared only after clearance from the Commission, the DC added.

Prohibitory orders

City Police Commissioner has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in Mysuru City limits from 6 am on May 23 to 12 midnight of May 24 in order to facilitate smooth counting and maintenance of law and order.

Accordingly, gathering of people in groups of more than five and holding meetings or processions in 200 metre radius of the counting centre have been totally banned. Also, unauthorised persons will not be allowed inside the counting centre.  

Besides, taking out victory processions, bursting of crackers in front of houses and public spaces, making provocative speeches, taking out bike rallies and use of loud speakers are banned. No person will be allowed to carry explosive materials and lethal weapons. Severe action will be taken against those found violating ban orders, said Abhiram Sankar.

Madikeri assembly segment

Eighteen rounds of counting of votes of Madikeri Assembly segment will be held in Room Nos. 103 and 104 on the first floor. As many as 15 tables will be put up to count the votes of 369 polling booths in this segment.

Virajpet

Nineteen rounds of counting of votes of Virajpet Assembly segment will be held in room numbers 11 and 12 in ground floor.  15 tables will be set up to count votes of 274 polling booths.

Periyapatna

Sixteen rounds of counting of votes of Periyapatna Assembly segment will be held in room numbers 303 and 304 on third floor. 15 tables will be put up to count votes of 235 polling booths.

Hunsur

Nineteen rounds of counting of votes of Hunsur Assembly segment will be held in room numbers 111 and 112 on first floor. 15 tables will be set up to count the votes of 274 polling booths.

Chamundeshwari

Nineteen rounds of counting of votes of Chamundeshwari Assembly segment will be held in room number 120 on the first floor. 18 tables will to be set up for counting of votes of 338 polling booths.

Krishnaraja

Eighteen rounds of counting of votes of Krishnaraja Assembly segment will be held in room numbers 211 and 212 on the second floor. 15 tables will be put up to count the votes of 270 polling booths.

Chamaraja

Seventeen rounds of counting of votes of Chamaraja Assembly segment will be held in room number 226 on the second floor and 15 tables will be put up to count the votes of 245 polling booths.

Narasimharaja

Nineteen rounds of counting of votes of Narasimharaja Assembly segment will be held in room numbers 203 and 204 on the second floor. 15 tables will be set up to count the votes of 282 polling booths.

Postal ballots

Counting of votes of postal ballots will be held in room number 19 on the ground floor. As many as five tables will be put up. As per the Election Commission’s instructions, there shall be a maximum of 5 tables and in each round, a maximum of 500 postal ballot papers should be distributed to each table.

In the Constituencies where postal ballot papers are high, Returning Officers are permitted to have more counting tables for postal ballot papers subject to the condition that there has to be an ARO for each such table.

Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) scanning will be set up in room number 18 in the ground floor. Five tables will be put up. A Gazetted Officer will be appointed as counting supervisor and a C group employee will be his/ her assistant at each table. A Central government employee will be appointed as an observer for each counting table, the DC said.  

Websites

To enable people to know the trends and results, the Commission will upload the particulars after 8 am on the websites: www.eciresults.nic.in.