All set for counting of votes today in Mysuru

All arrangements are in place for the counting of votes of the 11 Assembly constituencies of Mysuru district at two centres here on Tuesday. The fate of 147 candidates, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ministers H.C. Mahadevappa and Tanveer Sait, will be known by noon.

Counting of votes will take place at the two counting centres – at the new campus of Maharani’s College for Commerce and Management at Paduvarahalli, off Hunsur Road, and the NIEIT College on KRS Road near BEML, on the outskirts of Mysuru.

The counting will begin at 8 a.m. Early trends are expected to be available by 10 a.m. The counting staff have been sensitised on the protocol to be followed.

The counting of votes of Chamundeshwari, Krishnaraja, Narasimharaja, H.D. Kote, Nanjangud, T. Narsipur and Hunsur Assembly constituencies will be carried out at Maharani’s College. At the NIEIT, the votes of Varuna, K.R. Nagar, Periyapatna and Chamaraja constituencies will be counted.

Senior officials from the district reviewed the arrangements at the counting centres here on Monday.

Tight security

There will be a three-tier security around the counting centres – personnel from the central paramilitary force will man the first and innermost circles; the second by the Karnataka State Reserve Police; and the third by the City Civil Police.

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) of the respective Assembly constituencies had been kept in strongrooms at the respective counting centres that have been under the round-the-clock security and CCTV coverage. Several dozens of cameras have been installed inside and outside the counting centres.

Other measures

Fire protection measures were also in place at the centres.

Media centres had been set up at both centres. The centres will be kept completely illuminated all through the night.

“All measures were taken as per the guidelines of the Election Commission,” District Election Officer Abhiram G. Sankar said.

Barring election officials and mediapersons, the mobile phones of others will not be allowed inside the centres. The area around the centres has been barricaded to prevent public from entering. Only authorised persons carrying valid ID cards will be allowed inside.

Announcements

The respective returning officers (ROs) will keep announcing the number of votes each candidate has secured after every round of counting.

The announcement will be made using the public address system so that trends could be heard by supporters of the candidates and party workers waiting outside the centres.

Loudspeakers have been installed at several places around the centres.