Dhamnagar Bypoll: Votes To Be Counted For 18 Rounds Amid Tight Security Tomorrow

Bhubaneswar: All is set for counting of votes, polled during byelection to Dhamnagar Assembly constituency in Odisha’s Bhadrak district, to decide next MLA from the seat.

Speaking to media persons on Saturday on preparations for the counting, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sushil Kumar Lohani said the process will start with postal ballots at the Bhadrak Sanskriti Bhavan from 8 am. After the counting of postal ballots is over, the votes polled through electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be counted from 8.30 am.

He further said the EVM votes will be counted at 14 tables while there will be one table for the returning officer in the counting hall. The counting of votes cast by voters at 252 polling booths in the constituency will be held upto 18 rounds, he added.

After the end of EVM counting, 5 rounds of random counting in VVPAT will be taken up for cross verification. The Central observer appointed by the Election Commission of India will remain present throughout the counting.

Besides, each table will have a counting supervisor and an assistant supervisor. A micro observer will also be deputed from Central government or Central PSU.

Lohani said the counting personnel have been appointed through random selection. Besides, the counting supervisors will be allotted to the tables on random basis.

On law and order measures, the CEO said a 3-layer security will be in place to prevent any disturbance or untoward incident during the counting. While one platoon of CRPF personnel has been deployed for inner corridor of the security cordon, one platoon of State Armed Force is on guard in the middle cordon and one platoon of district police is guarding in the outer cordon, he added.

It may be noted that EVMs have been kept amid tight security in the strong room of the District Level EVM and VVPAT Warehouse in Bhadrak.