3-tier security for Sankarankoil bypoll counting

CHENNAI: Counting of votes for the Sankarankoil by-election will begin at 8 am on Wednesday at the Sri Veerasamy Chettiyar College of Engineering and Technology in Puliyangudi. Fourteen tables will be set up for the counting, which will be videographed as in last May’s Assembly polls.Counting of postal votes would be taken up first on the returning officer’s table. After a gap of 30 minutes, the EVM counting would start. After completion of each round, candidate-wise votes would be tallied and displayed before commencement of the next round.Chief Electoral Officer in-charge D Raajendiran, in an official release here, said that the counting centre in Puliyangudi had  three-tier security in place. Candidates, their agents and officials would be frisked and their identities verified before allowing them in.“Sharp objects, bottles, tins, containers, boxes, umbrellas, matches, wires, lighters, liquids, chemicals and eatables will not be permitted inside the counting hall,” the CEO said. “Only the observer, returning officer, candidate or his/her agent would be allowed to bring mobile phones inside the outer cordon. Counting agents, supervisors and assistants would not be allowed to bring mobile phones inside the outer cordon.”“Inside the counting hall, only the observer would be allowed to carry a mobile phone. Mediapersons would be permitted to carry mobile phones only up to the media centre at the counting location and they should use it only inside the media centre,” he said.Only those counting agents holding photo identity cards issued by the returning officer would be allowed inside the counting hall, he added.