Extensive arrangements have been made to ensure that counting of votes polled in Coimbatore and Pollachi Parliamentary constituencies goes off without a hitch.
Police and paramilitary forces have tightened security at the Government College of Technology (GCT) for Coimbatore constituency and Dr. Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology (MCET) for Pollachi constituency, where the counting will be held on May 23.
While Coimbatore City Police have deployed 1,600 police personnel at GCT, Coimbatore Rural Police have positioned 900 personnel at MCET. Personnel from paramilitary and Central Armed Police Forces further add to the security cover.
Election officials said that officers trained for counting of votes will be assembled at the two centres before 6 a.m. At 6 a.m., counting officers will be allotted to the 12 Assembly segments coming under the two Parliamentary constituencies.
Kavundampalayam, Coimbatore North, Coimbatore South, Singanallur, Sulur and Palladam are the Assembly segments coming under Coimbatore Parliamentary constituency.
Pollachi Parliamentary constituency consists of Thondamuthur, Kinathukadavu, Pollachi, Valparai (SC), Udumalpet and Madathukulam Assembly segments.
Each Assembly segment, except Kavundampalayam, will have 14 tables for counting. Each table will have a counting supervisor, counting assistant and a micro observer. Kavundampalayam will have 20 counting tables as the number of polling booths were higher.
Other than these, there will be four tables each at GCT and MCET for the counting of postal ballots.
The counting of votes will start with the counting of postal ballots at 8 a.m. The counting of votes in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which are sealed and kept after the General election on April 18 and Sulur by-election on May 19, will be allotted to each table after the counting of postal votes. The number of votes cast against the candidates will be updated to the assistant returning officers for each assembly segment after every round.
The counting procedure, shifting of EVMs, and all other proceedings at GCT and MCET will be covered by surveillance camera system.
