Davangere bypoll results | Locks of strongrooms broken after keys misplaced

Davangere: As the keys of locks of the strong rooms where polled electronic voting machines (EVMs) in bypolls to Davangere South Assembly constituency were stored on the premises of DRR educational institute on PB road in the city, were struck inside the locks, they were broken with hammers to gain an entry into them on Monday. So, the counting of votes was delayed by around 12 minutes.

The voting machines were stored in four rooms of the institute. The keys of the locks of three rooms could not be opened. Only one room was opened with the key. Due to this, the locks of three rooms were broken with the help of a carpenter.

As per the directions of the Election Commission, the doors of the security rooms were to be opened at 7.30 am. Election observer Kumar Ramanikant, District Election Officer GM Gangadharaswamy and Congress and BJP election agents were present near the strong room. The staff struggled to open locks of the rooms with keys.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials rushed to the spot and inspected. Since the lock could not be opened, they began the process of breaking the lock with the permission of the election observers.

Preparations for the counting of postal votes was underway while the doors of the EVM strong rooms rooms were being opened. The counting of votes, which was supposed to begin at 8 am, began with a delay of 12 minutes.