Officers await EVMs, VVPATs from remote places in Virajpet; CRPF to take over strong rooms security

Mysore/Mysuru: Following the conclusion of polling at 6 pm yesterday, the fate of the 18 candidates vying for the Lok Sabha elections in the Mysuru-Kodagu Constituency is sealed in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPAT systems (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail).

Subsequently, the machines were transported to the mustering centres, where they underwent the de-mustering process before being shifted to the counting centre at Maharani’s College of Commerce and Management for Women on Valmiki Road in Vinayakanagar (Paduvarahalli). The machines will be opened on the counting day on June 4.

Night-long process

A night-long procedure commenced post-polling and involved sealing the EVMs and VVPATs at the respective polling booths before transporting them to the mustering centres for de-mustering.

In light of the 18 candidates contesting, this Lok Sabha election necessitated the use of 2 EVMs per booth, as each machine can only accommodate up to 16 candidates. As such, there are two EVMs per booth.

Each of the 11 mustering centres was equipped with dedicated strong rooms, where the machines were methodically deposited in a booth-wise manner according to their serial numbers. Once the machines were securely locked within the strong rooms, polling officers departed the mustering centres.

Later in the night yesterday, the machines were transported to the counting centre at Maharani’s College of Commerce and Management for Women, with the operation being overseen by senior district officers and the Police. To ensure additional security, the entire process was videographed.

Election officers reported that it was well past midnight when the machines arrived at the main counting centre. Upon arrival, the machines were segregated Constituency-wise and placed in designated sections under pre-assigned numbers. The task continued till this morning with officers working overnight. 

Delay from Virajpet

However, as of 12.30 pm today, the EVMs and VVPATs from the Virajpet Assembly segment were yet to reach the counting centre. This delay was attributed to the remote villages deep within the forest and border areas where polling booths were established.

The machines from Virajpet reached the mustering centres only this morning, and from there after the de-mustering, they were being transported to the counting centre. Officials informed Star of Mysore that the machines from Virajpet are expected to arrive at 2.30 pm today.

Once the machines arrive from Virajpet, they will be deposited in the respective rooms, with each constituency allotted one large room. In cases where smaller rooms are designated, two rooms per constituency are allocated. The machines will be segregated boothwise and clearly marked for identification. Later, the counting centre will be sealed and the security will be taken over by Central Reserve Police Force personnel.