Poll Officials review arrangements

• Traffic restricted around two counting centres in city tomorrow from   6 am to 10 pm
• Counting of votes to begin at 8 am
• Prior Police permission must for victory rallies
• Betting galore on counting eve
• Liquor ban from today midnight till tomorrow midnight

Mysuru:  With the counting of votes for the Assembly polls held on May 12 to be taken up at 8 am tomorrow (May 15), the two counting centres in city — Maharani’s College of Commerce and Management in Vinayakanagar (Paduvarahalli) and NIE-IT in Koorgalli Industrial Area — have become a fortress, with Paramilitary Forces and the City Police maintaining strict round-the-clock vigil ahead of the D-Day.

The fate of 147 candidates contesting from 11 Constituencies in the district will be known by afternoon, according to Election Officials. The counting will start from 8 am and the initial trends will be available by 10 am.

While the counting of votes polled in K.R. Nagar, Periyapatna, Varuna and Chamaraja Assembly segments will be taken up at NIE-IT, the counting of votes of KR, NR, H.D. Kote (ST), Nanjangud (SC), T. Narasipur (SC), Hunsur and Chamundeshwari will be taken up at Maharani’s College of Commerce and Management.

All the strong rooms where EVMs, control units and VVPAT machines are kept in the centres, have been totally secured and sealed, with the authorities leaving no chance for ensuring fool-proof security. The counting centres will have a media station, health kiosk, District Electoral Officers’ Office, Poll Observers’ Office and a computer room with internet, phone and hotspot facilities.

Every counting hall in each of the two centres will have 14 tables. Only select agents of a candidate are allowed to see the counting process through a mesh partition that is installed around the hall. Prior to the counting, every EVM will be showed to the candidate or his/her agents before unsealing.

The entire scenario at the centre and the counting process will be video-recorded, for which over 80 CCTV cameras have been installed at vantage points such as counting centre entry point, centre building entry, counting spot entry, strong room entry, inside strong room, corridors, around the building and also at media centre, health centre, DEO office and poll observers office.

After the completion of every round of counting, the respective Returning Officer (RO) will announce the number of votes that each candidate has secured through a specified mike.

The authorities have installed a few mikes around the centres and also loudspeakers along the roads leading to the centres to enable the public to know about the trend. Besides, a LED TV has been installed at media centre. Barricades have been erected all around the centres, to prevent trespassing into the centre. Only authorised officials and persons holding photo ID cards will be allowed inside the counting centre.

While paramilitary forces are guarding the strong room, the Police are busily engaged in maintaining law and order around the centres. The winning candidate will be issued certificate at the spot after the official announcement of results, according to poll authorities who also said that Valmiki Road will be out of bounds for public tomorrow.

COUNTING VENUES: At Maharani’s College Counting Centre; Krishnaraja, Narasimharaja, H.D. Kote, Nanjangud, T. Narasipur, Hunsur and Chamundeshwari Assembly Constituencies

At NIE-IT Counting Centre: K.R. Nagar, Periyapatna, Varuna and Chamaraja Assembly Constituencies