After the close of polling at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the Elections Department moved the EVMs and VVPAT machines from the respective polling booths to the strong rooms in Cuddalore, Virudhachalam, Panruti and B. Mutlur.
While the counting centres for Cuddalore and Kurunjipadi Assembly constituenices will be the Government Periyar Arts College, the counting centres for Thittakudi (Reserved) and Virudhachalam constituencies will be Government Kolanjiappar Arts College in Virudhachalam.
The counting centres for Panruti and Neyveli will be at Anna University campus in Panruti while the counting centres for Chidambaram, Bhuvanagiri and Kattumannarkoil (Reserved) constituencies will be at Government Arts College in B. Mutlur.
According to official sources, the last machine landed at around 7 a.m. on Wednesday in Chidambaram. In all, 3,001 ballot and control units, 604 reserve ballot units and 3,871 VVPAT units including reserve units reached the respective counting centres amid tight security.
The authorities, in the presence of Returning Officers, election observers and police officials, sealed the rooms on Wednesday morning.
A three-tier security arrangement has been put in place at the counting centres. While Central Armed Police Force personnel would man the inner ring of the counting centre, armed police personnel would be deployed outside the counting hall and local police would ensure the outer ring security of the counting stations.
Sources said that in addition to the three-tier security, the officials have also installed closed circuit television cameras. Election observers and District Collector Chandra Sekhar Sakhamuri reviewed the security arrangements in the counting centre on Wednesday.
