MALAPPURAM: The counting of votes for the bypoll held for Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency on April 12, will be held at the Government College, here, from 8 am on Monday.
Under tight security, the counting will be held in seven halls of the college building, divided according to the Assembly segments in the Lok Sabha constituency. An additional hall has been allocated for counting the postal votes.
As many as 300 officers will carry out the task in the presence of the returning officer. Poll observers and political party representatives will watch the opening of the strong rooms, where the EVMs have been kept, by the assigned officers.
Later, the machines will be taken to the tables at the halls arranged for the respective Assembly segments. In all, 12 tables each will be allocated for the Malappuram and Vengara Assembly constituency while the remaining segments will get five tables each.
A counting supervisor, counting assistant, micro observer and an agent for each candidate will be allowed at the tables when the counting is on.
The counting supervisor will hand over the results to the assistant who will submit a consolidated report to the returning officer for the result announcement.
With six independents and three party candidates, a total of nine persons are in the fray for the election necessitated by the demise of Muslim League leader E Ahamed. The IUML has won all but one election held in the parliamentary consistency.