Bihar polls: EVMs kept under tight security ahead of counting

Patna, Nov 12 (PTI) The electronic voting machines (EVMs), in which the electoral fate of the Bihar assembly election candidates have been sealed, were kept under tight security in strong rooms, the ECI said on Wednesday. Votes will be counted on Friday in 46 centres across the 38 districts of Bihar. The EVMs and VVPATs used in the polling have been sealed inside strong rooms, which are under a two-tier security cover, the ECI said in a statement. “While the inner security of the premises has been assigned to Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF), district police have been deployed to maintain outer security. Furthermore, 24×7 CCTV surveillance and other security provisions have been put in place,” it said. A control room has also been set up within every strong room campus, where senior officials will be on duty. All district election officers and returning officers of the assembly constituencies concerned have been directed to inspect the strong rooms daily, the statement said. EVMs and VVPATs that were found defective during the mock poll, as well as other unused machines, have been stored separately, it said. The two-phase polling for the assembly elections was held on November 6 and 11. Bihar has registered an unprecedented voter turnout of 66.91 per cent in the history of state polls since 1951. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday visited places of worship of various religions to express gratitude for the “peaceful and undisputed” voting in the state, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ashok Kumar Chaudhary said in a statement, without elaboration. “The record voting figures show that women and various classes of people have participated overwhelmingly in the polls. This is indicative of the awareness of Bihar’s electorate,” Chaudhary said. PTI SUK NN