Coimbatore District Collector has announced that Ministers, Legislators, Parliamentarians and local government representatives will not be allowed to enter the counting center.
Coimbatore: With counting of votes scheduled to begin at 8 am in Coimbatore, Ministers, Legislators, Members of Parliament and local government representatives will not be allowed to enter the counting center, according to the Coimbatore District Collector, G S Sameeran.
A press conference was held in Coimbatore at the District Collectorate during which District Collector, G S Sameeran briefed reporters that for the vote-counting process, 1 center for Corporations, 7 centers for 7 Municipalities and 9 centers for 33 Town Panchayats have been set up in Coimbatore district. There are 100 Ward members in the Corporation, 198 Ward members in the Municipalities and 504 Ward members in the Town Panchayats (excluding those elected without contest).
Even as counting of votes begins at 8 am, 497 counting officers have been deployed in Coimbatore district. Each center is expected to engage in a 150-micro-observer mission at a rate of 3-micro-visitors. In addition, 2400 guards in the Corporation, 1460 guards in the Municipalities and Town Panchayat areas are to be on security duty. In addition, special security has been beefed up around the counting center.
Three agents are allowed inside the centers along with a candidate but cell phones have been barred. Ministers, Members of Parliament and representatives of local bodies are not allowed inside the counting center. Liquor stores are also not allowed to be operated within a 5 km radius of the counting centers.
Wearing of face masks has been made mandatory at the counting center along with adherence to social distancing. As of Sunday, 28 cases have been filed for offering money to voters.
Nagarajan who was appointed as the Election Special Observer for Coimbatore district and Observer Govinda Rao were present during the press conference.