West Graduates Constituency: Dharwad officials secure strongroom and train counting staff

Strict protocols for vote counting

Election authorities in Dharwad have finalised comprehensive training for vote-counting personnel while securing the central strongroom holding ballot boxes for the Karnataka Legislative Council West Graduates’ Constituency election, ahead of the vote tally scheduled for October 27.

Returning Officer for the constituency K.M. Janaki addressed counting supervisors and assistants during a structured briefing at the Farmers Knowledge Centre, located within the University of Agricultural Sciences campus in Dharwad. She instructed staff to maintain complete transparency and accountability at every stage of the evaluation to safeguard public trust in the electoral system.

Emphasising that early clarity creates confidence across subsequent rounds, Ms Janaki directed officials to strictly follow all Election Commission guidelines and statutory provisions. Staff were required to clear doubts during practical sessions before being formally cleared for counting duty. Retired tahsildar Shirgaonkar from the Revenue Department conducted the technical and procedural training.

Four-district administrative coordination

The West Graduates’ Constituency spans four major districts in northern Karnataka. Senior civil administrators from across the region attended the briefing to oversee coordination, demonstrating synchronized administrative efficiency.

In addition to the Deputy Commissioners, municipal leadership—including Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Commissioner Rudresh Ghaali—and local tahsildars deputed for counting duties participated in the preparation sessions.

Strongroom security and surveillance

Ballot boxes collected from across all four districts have been consolidated inside a designated strongroom at the University of Agricultural Sciences campus.

Dharwad Deputy Commissioner Snehal R. confirmed that round-the-clock security and continuous visual surveillance have been established around the perimeter. Dedicated security staff and civil officers are deployed on rotating shifts to maintain the integrity of the ballot boxes until the strongroom is opened in the presence of authorized agents on October 27.