Bengaluru counting of votes to begin at 8am on D-Day, confirmed results by 6pm

BENGALURU: Counting of votes for the three Bengaluru Lok Sabha constituencies which went to polls on April 18 will be taken up at three centres from 8am Thursday.
The results are likely to be formally announced only by 6pm, district electoral officer and BBMP commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad said on Monday. “Counting will be done at Mount Carmel Women’s PU College, Vasantnagar (Bengaluru Central); St Joseph’s Indian High School, Vittal Mallya Road (Bengaluru North) and SSMRV PU College, T Block, Jayanagar (Bengaluru South),” added Prasad.
Results are expected to be delayed this time because of manual counting of voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips from more booths. Five booths will be randomly selected from each assembly constituency in the LS constituencies and VVPAT slips from these booths will be counted to crosscheck if they match the EVM figures, election officials explained. Earlier, only one booth used to be selected from each assembly constituency.
Counting of VVPAT slips from each booth is expected to take at least 45 minutes. “The EVM counting process will begin at 8am and end by 12.30pm. The results will be announced only after the counting of postal ballots, defence personnel votes and VVPAT slips,” said Prasad. “A total of 497 micro-observers will monitor counting of votes and declaration of results,” he added.
Of the 72,68,799 lakh registered voters in the three constituencies, 3,938,439 exercised their franchise in the April 18 election. Bengaluru North recorded 54.66% turnout, Bengaluru Central 54.28%, and Bengaluru South 53.47%.
While 31 candidates are in the fray in Benglauru North, 22 are in the race in Bengaluru Central and 25 in Bengaluru South. Candidates are allowed to go to the counting centre with their agents. “The entire counting process will be videographed and the candidates will be given a CD of the same once it concludes. We want to ensure a clean election,” he added. About 1,500 personnel, including the micro-observers, will man the process.