Election officials on Saturday started moving electronic voting machines (EVMs) along with Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) devices to Assembly constituencies in Tiruchi district.
Collector and District Election Officer S. Sivarasu, who visited the strongroom at the old Collector Office complex where they were stored, conducted a randomisation drive in front of representatives of recognised political parties to select the machines for nine constituencies in the district.
The EVMs and VVPATs were subsequently shifted in lorries to Srirangam, Manapparai, Thuraiyur, Lalgudi, Thiruverumbur, Mannachanallur, Musiri, Tiruchi (East) and Tiruchi (West) constituencies. Armed police personnel accompanied the vehicles.
Mr. Sivarasu said 492 EVMs comprising ballot and control units and 529 VVPTs were dispatched to Manapparai constituency. For Srirangam, 528 EVMs and 568 VVPTs were dispatched and for Tiruchi (West) it was 455 EVMs and 489 VVPTs. Tiruchi East was allotted 439 EVMs and 479 VVPTs.
Tiruvermbur was earmarked 497 EVMs and 534 VVPTs and Lagudi 360 EVMs and 387 VVPTs. For Mannachanallur, 409 EVMs and 440 VVPTs would be used and in Musiri 398 EVMs and 440 VVPTs will be deployed. In Thuraiyur, 372 EVMs and 400 VVPTs would be used.
In all, 3,950 EVMs and 4,247 VVPTs would be used in the nine constituencies. They would be kept at strongrooms in the respective constituency with round-the- clock police protection, Mr. Sivarasu added.
