EVMs randomised

Election Commission observers, District Election Officer and Collector Archana Patnaik (second right), and senior officers holding a meeting at the Coimbatore Collectorate on Tuesday.

District Election Officer and Collector Archana Patnaik and senior district administration officials randomised electronic voting machines in the presence of five Election Commission observers. A release from the district administration said that the officials used the software the Commission had provided to randomise the machines. At the time of randomisation, representatives of political parties were also present.

They then handed over the machines to the returning officers of the 10 Assembly constituencies. The returning officers took the machines to the strong rooms allotted to them. Armed security personnel would be guarding the machines.

The release said that the observers asked the Collector and other officials to follow all guidelines of the Commission, ensure smooth conduct of the election. The officials also discussed identifying new vulnerable polling stations.

Cash seizure

Flying squad officials on Tuesday seized Rs. 58.20 lakh from a few persons in the district, but returned the cash after they furnished documents to establish it was accounted money and that they were the rightful owners.

Symbols allotted

The Nilgiris district administration on Tuesday allotted symbols to candidates contesting election in the Udhagamandalam Assembly constituency. A release said that the Gandhiya Makkal Iyakkam candidate Subramani N. got ‘whistle’, Jalal Ali S. of India Dravida Makkal Munnetra Katchi ‘coconut, Jagan R. of Naam Tamilar Katchi ‘candles’, Independents Manogaran and Venugopal D. television and autorickshaw respectively.

In the Gudalur Assembly constituency, the officials allotted ‘candles’ to Karmegam S. of Naam Tamilar Katchi, ‘doe’ and ‘whistle’ to Independent candidates G. Kamaraj and R.P. Chenguttuvan respectively.

In the Coonoor Assembly constituency, the officials allotted ‘pot’ to R. Sivakumar of Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, ‘pressure cooker’ to M. Mohammed Ibrahim of Youth and Students Party, ‘hat’ to A. Albert Rajkumar, ‘glass tumbler’ to M. Sekar, ‘scissors’ to S. Dharmaraj, ‘walking stick’ to D. Naresh Desingh. The officials also sent 27 boxes of 10 electronic voting machines each to the Udhagamandalam Assembly constituency, 25 boxes of 10 machines each to the Gudalur Assembly constituency and 26 boxes of 10 machines each to the Coonoor Assembly constituency.

The returning officer of the Udhagamandalam constituency stored the machines in the Breeks Anglo Indian school, the returning officer of the Gudalur constituency stored the machines in St. Thomas school and the Coonoor returning officer took the machines to Providence Women’s College, the release said.