Mysore/Mysuru: The wait for the announcement of the much-anticipated results of Legislative Council polls from South Graduates Constituency, the counting of which began this morning, appears to get longer by several hours due to high voter turnout and lengthy process.

The Constituency comprises Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar districts. About a lakh of the total 1,41,861 voters had exercised their franchise in the polls on June 13, recording a poll percentage of nearly 70. There are 19 candidates in fray.

The locked, sealed and secured strong room at Maharani’s Women’s Commerce and Management College on Valmiki Road in city where the ballot papers were kept after de-mustering on June 13, was opened at 7.45 am today in the presence of the candidates, poll agents, Election Commission Poll Observer Ponnuraj, a senior IAS Officer from Bengaluru, Mysuru Regional Commissioner Dr. G.C. Prakash, who is also the Returning Officer (RO), the Deputy Commissioners of all four districts, who are Assistant ROs and other poll officials. Counting process began at 8 am with identification of invalid and doubtful votes, assortment and segregation of ballot papers, bundling of ballot papers of 25 each, counting of postal ballots and such other exercises involved in vote count, which went on for over four hours. Out of 178 postal ballots, two were invalid.

The formal counting of votes polled (99,304 votes) began at 12.30 pm at all the 28 tables set up in three rooms and it is expected to go on till late night or even spill over to early morning tomorrow as the votes are of preferential type, where each voter was required to  choose the candidates of his/her choice by marking  in the order of preference (1, 2, 3 etc.). Each table was to count 3,500 votes.

Police had clamped prohibitory orders in 200 mts radius of the centre from 6 am today. Though ban orders is scheduled to end at 12 midnight, it may be extended by a few more hours depending upon the official announcement of results.

Police had erected barricades at a distance of 200 mts on all roads leading to counting centre.

Cops had made elaborate security arrangements with the deployment of over 150 personnel, including 3 ACPs, 8 Inspectors, 12 PSIs and 15 ASIs.

Congress candidate takes early lead

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Madhu G. Madegowda was leading ahead by a thin margin against his nearest rivals M.V. Ravishankar of BJP, H.K. Ramu of JD(S) and Prasanna N. Gowda backed by KRRS, DSS and AAP after initial rounds of counting, it is learnt.