Security in place as EVMs stored in strong room

The process of shifting of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) of all booths, under the Mysore-Kodagu Lok Sabha segment, to the strong room was completed on Friday.

The units, in which the fate of 22 candidates, including BJP’s Pratap Simha and Congress’ C H Vijayashankar, has been sealed, were stored in the new building of the Maharani’s College in Paduvarahalli in the city. The strong room will be opened on counting day on May 23.

The polling process was held in a total of 2,187 polling stations across the constituency.

The shifting process started late in the evening on Thursday, after the completion of voting. It continued till Friday morning as it took more time to bring the EVMs from Kodagu district. Virajpet and Madikeri Assembly segments in Kodagu comes under Mysore-Kodagu segment.

However, the EVMs used in Mysuru district, which comprises Chamaraja, Krishnaraja, Narasimharaja, Chamundeshwari, Periyapatna and Hunsur Assembly segments, were shifted on Thursday night.

Delayed in shifting

According to the officials, shifting of the units from Kodagu was delayed as the de-mustering process and listing of the units need to be done by the Kodagu district administration. Following the process, the units were shifted to Mysuru.

While the EVMs have been stored at the strong room in Maharani’s College in Paduvarahalli in the city, the de-mustering process was done at the old Maharani’s College, earlier.

The officials inspected the strong room and sealed the doors of the rooms after shifting. The units are stored in eight rooms.

The City Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have provided tight security at the college.

The police have installed 30 CCTV cameras and one Assistant Commissioner of Police and a Police Inspector are monitoring the security arrangements. A total of 60 security persons are deputed at the college. The work is round the clock on shift basis.

While CRPF personnel are guarding the rooms, the second line of security is provided by Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and two teams of City Armed Reserve (CAR) police, to ensure that no outsiders can enter the premises.