The counting of votes polled in the Kottayam Lok Sabha constituency will be held at eight centres here on Thursday.
Special centres have been set up to count the votes polled in each of the seven Assembly segments, besides the postal and the Electronically Transmitted Ballot paper (ETBP) service votes.
The proceedings during the day will begin at 5 a.m. with the final round of randomisation of officials to each of the Assembly segments. The strongrooms where the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are kept will be opened at 7.30 a.m. in the presence of the Assistant Returning Officers and the counting of votes will begin at 8 a.m.
ADVERTISEMENT
Main centre
The postal ballots will be counted at the Baselios College, the main centre, from 8 a.m. The authorities have so far received as many as 1,766 postal votes and 744 ETBP votes in the district.
According to District Collector P.K. Sudheer Babu, there will be 14 counting tables for each Assembly segment except Piravom, which will have 15 tables. Counting in the Vaikom, Ettumannur and Piravom constituencies will be held in 12 rounds while the process will be completed in 13 rounds in the remaining segments of Pala, Kaduthuruthy, Kottayam and Puthuppally.
ADVERTISEMENT
Three-tier security
Each centre has been provided with a three-tier security cover comprising the CRPF men at the first circle, the Battalion forces at the second layer, and the local police at the third layer. A total of 12 Dy.Sps, 28 CIs, 234 officers, 943 police men, two companies of Central forces, and one company of CRPF, have been deployed in the district to ensure foolproof security and to maintain law and order. Action has been initiated against 871 persons under Section 107 of Cr.PC while 21 persons have been taken into preventive custody or sent away from the district as part of preventive measures.