Amid high security, stage set for counting in Panipat, Sonepat
The stage is set for the counting of votes in the six Assembly constituencies in Sonepat and four in Panipat districts.
The counting would be held in BITS, Mohana, at Sonepat, while in four assemblies of Panipat, it would be held in Arya College.
The strongrooms, where the EVMs have been kept, are under the three-tier security of the Central armed forces and the Haryana Police. In Sonepat, a three-tier security system has been put in place to guard EVM strongrooms at the BITS institute in Mohana village on the Sonepat-Gohana road of Sonepat district.
The EVMs of all six Assembly constituencies, including Sonepat, Rai, Ganaur, Baroda, Gohana and Kharkhoda Assembly, are well-protected, said high-level security officials.
District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar said the security personnel of the BSF, CISF and the Haryana Police were guarding the EVMs all the time, DC Manoj Kumar said.
Apart from this, tents had been erected in the BITS Mohana for members of all political parties and LED screens had been installed in these tents so that the political parties could watch the safety of the EVMs all the time, he said.
No one would be allowed to enter the counting centre without a valid permission pass, the Deputy Commissioner said.
In Panipat, the counting centres had been set up in Arya College and Arya School for all four Assembly constituencies — Panipat City, Panipat Rural, Israna and Samalkha.
SP Panipat Lokender Singh reviewed the security system on Monday at the counting centres.
A total of 680 police personnel had been deployed during the security of the counting centres, he said.
The entry of externals was strictly prohibited on the strongroom premises. No one was allowed to enter the counting centre except the candidate and his/her agents, the SP said.
Special patrolling teams had been formed to guard the strongrooms and four nodal officers-cum-DSPs had been appointed for all four constituencies.
Members of political parties had begun converging on the counting centres to keep a watch on the EVMs in Panipat also. Five special nakas had been laid around the counting centres and a special vehicle route diversion plan had also been made, the SP said.
