Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jun 4: The stage is set for the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections in the Dakshina Kannada constituency. The preparations have been completed at the NITK College in Suratkal, where the vote counting will take place.

A total of 14,09,653 EVM votes and 8537 postal votes are set to be counted. The counting process will be conducted in 8 rooms, with each room handling the votes for one of the 8 assembly constituencies within the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha seat.

The vote counting will occur over 137 rounds, with each assembly constituency undergoing 18 to 19 rounds of counting. For the EVM votes, 112 tables have been arranged across the 8 rooms, while 20 tables have been set up in one room specifically for the counting of postal votes.

A workforce of 554 staff members has been appointed to manage the vote counting process. Security arrangements are stringent, with operations to open security rooms by constituency commencing at 6 AM. The postal vote counting process is scheduled to begin at 8 AM, followed by the EVM vote counting starting at 8:30 AM.

Security around the vote counting center is tight, featuring a three-tier security system. To ensure safety and transparency, vehicle movement within 100 meters of the counting center has been prohibited. Additionally, CCTV cameras have been installed in all rooms to monitor the process closely.

Despite the readiness, some strong rooms were opened after some delay. The delay was attributed to the absence of party agents who are required to be present. As a result, the security rooms, which were supposed to be opened at 6 AM, remained closed for some time.