Security has been tightened in Hunsur for the counting of votes polled in the December 5 byelection.
More than 400 police personnel will be deployed at the D. Devaraj Urs First-Grade College, where the counting will take place on Monday. This is in addition to the five platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police and nine platoons of District Armed Reserve (DAR) police.
Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar and Superintendent of Police C.B. Rishyanth told presspersons here on Saturday that polling was by and large peaceful and 11 FIRs pertaining to poll code violations were registered in the run-up to the elections.
Mr. Sankar said that of the 2,27,974 registered voters, 1,83,728 exercised their franchise, resulting in a polling percentage of 80.59. He said after the conclusion of polling, the control units, ballot units and VVPAT units were sealed and shifted to the counting centre securely.
Counting will commence at 8 a.m. The electronically transferred postal ballots will be counted first, after which the votes recorded in the EVMs will be counted. Mr. Sankar said there will be 20 rounds of counting and the results may be expected around noon.
CCTV cameras have been installed for round-the-clock monitoring of the centre till counting is completed and the results declared. Entry and exit of officials entrusted with election duties will be monitored and has to be registered in the log book.
As a precautionary measure, a fire service squadron has also been placed on duty, apart from an ad hoc medicare centre to cope with health-related emergencies. The authorities have also declared a dry day in a 5-km radius of the counting centre for 24 hours from midnight on Sunday. Similarly, ban orders under Section 144 will be in place across Hunsur constituency.
There will be 14 counting tables, and each will have a micro observer, a supervisor and an assistant. The staff, including the tabulation officials and others, were trained on Saturday.
In the run-up to the elections, officials had seized ₹2,081,044 in cash. Of this, ₹2,06,35,300 was returned after ascertaining details. The authorities are verifying the claims on the balance of amount. The Excise Department had seized spirit valued at ₹72,53,178. The other seizures included pamphlets, saris, cooking utensils, vehicles and four tankers, together valued at ₹1.02 crore.
