Telangana: MLC poll ballot boxes shifted to strongrooms

Adarsh Nagar: After the completion of polling for the two graduates' constituencies of Telangana Legislative Council on Friday evening, the sealed ballot boxes were shifted to the strong rooms in the respective counting centres set up at the indoor stadium in Saroornagar, amid tight security.

The jumbo ballot boxes measuring two feet in length, two feet in breadth and two-and-a-half feet in height that were used in the MLC election from the graduate constituency accommodates as many as 1,500 votes. These boxes were necessitated since 93 candidates contested for the MLC polls from this constituency.

The strong rooms at JogulambaGadwal, a remote area, accommodated ballot boxes from the nearby districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal, Malkajgiri, and Vikarabad. Ballot boxes from Vanaparthi, Nagar Kurnool, Mahbubnagar, and Narayanpet districts arrived mid-night on Sunday.

Each ballot box that arrived at the strong room was assigned a unique number in the order of the polling station serial number in the strong rooms. In addition, the statutory polling equipment reports submitted by the presiding officers were kept in special covers and handed over to the election officials.

The process of storing the ballot boxes in the strong room had taken place in full swing in the presence of the Returning Officer.