District Returning Officer inspects counting centres ahead of counting of votes for LS polls

BENGALURU: District Returning Officer and BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said that all preparations have been made for the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 and counting will begin on June 4 at 8 am.

Speaking to the media after inspecting the counting centers in connection with the Lok Sabha elections, he said that the three Lok Sabha constituencies including Bangalore Central, Bangalore City and Bangalore South, will come under the jurisdiction of the BBMP. Three Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru Rural and Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha constituency which come under the jurisdiction of BBMP, he said.

There will be categories of counting staff —Micro Observer, Counting Supervisor and Counting Assistant — assigned to each table. The counting staff and counting agents of the candidates have been asked to be present at 6 am. Only those who have been given identity cards will be allowed inside the counting centre.

He said that 14 tables will be placed in one room, and if there are large rooms, more tables will be placed.

Counting will go on continuously as postal voting is more in number this time. Counting of postal votes will be completed before the last round. This time, CCTV cameras have been installed in each counting room, and in addition to this, CCTV cameras and videography systems will be installed in other areas as per the direction of the Returning Officer, Tushar Giri Nath said.

A separate room for observers, for Returning Officer and a media centre  have been arranged in the counting centres. Media persons are allowed to use mobile phones only in the media centre. There will be no permission to use mobile phones outside the centre.

For the election staff and party agents, mobile phones, bags are strictly banned inside the counting rooms.

“The counting staff will not be aware of their table until they come to the counting centre. We will assign them to a table on the morning of June 4. The strongrooms will be opened at 7.45 am. EVM counting will start following the counting of postal ballots which will start at 8 am”, the Chief Commissioner added.

Details of counting of votes and strongroom centers for 3 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bangalore City District:

1. Bangalore Central: Mount Carmel College, Palace Road, Vasantnagar, Bengaluru.
Number of Assembly Constituencies: 8
Number of Polling Stations: 2,125
Number of Counting Rooms: 10
Total Number of Tables: 135
Total number of staff: 416

2. Bangalore North: St. Joseph’s College, Vittal Mallya Road, Bengaluru.
Number of Assembly Constituencies: 8
Number of Polling Stations: 2,911
Number of Counting Rooms: 19
Total Number of Tables: 130
Total number of staff: 390

3. Bangalore South: SSMRV College, 9th Block, Jayanagar, Bengaluru.
Number of Assembly Constituencies: 8
Number of Polling Stations: 2,120
Number of Counting Rooms: 9
Total Number of Tables: 118
Total number of staff: 354

Election officials Dr K Harish Kumar, Dayanand, Vinoth Priya and other officers were present during the briefing.