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Mangaluru: All necessary arrangements are in place for the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections, confirmed Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Mullai Muhilan MP.

The opening of EVM strong rooms is scheduled between 6 am and 7 am, with counting starting promptly at 8 am. Each counting hall has been equipped with 14 tables specifically for EVM counting. Each table will have one counting supervisor, one assistant, and one micro observer. Additionally, 20 tables have been set up to count postal ballots.

“For Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS), three tables have been arranged,” he told the media.

Each hall will have an assistant returning officer overseeing the EVM counting process. Approximately 600 personnel will be on duty for counting operations. Mobile phones, iPads, laptops, or any other electronic devices capable of recording audio or video are strictly prohibited inside the counting centre. The number of counting rounds varies between 15 to 19, depending on the assembly constituencies in Dakshina Kannada. After counting concludes, the EVMs and VVPATs will be stored at the EVM warehouse at Padil in Mangaluru city.

The DC emphasised, “Prohibitory orders under Section 144 will be in force, and no victory processions will be allowed till midnight on Tuesday.”

The district reported a 77.6% voter turnout via EVMs, with 8,537 postal ballot votes cast. Of the 514 service voters, 231 votes have been received, with the deadline extending until 7 am on Tuesday. The area within a 100m radius of the counting centre will be declared a pedestrian zone.

City commissioner of police Anupam Agrawal highlighted the reinforced security measures for the counting process.

“Five KSRP platoons, 13 CAR platoons, 2 DCPs, 6 ACPs, and additional paramilitary force personnel will ensure security. Three layers of security will be in place at the counting centre. A total 850 personnel will be on duty for bandobast,” he said.

In a fresh claim, arrested BJP leader and advocate G Devaraje Gowda has alleged that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and four other ministers were behind exposing Prajwal Revanna’s sex scam that has brought disgrace to Janata Dal (Secular) H D Deve Gowda family. 

Devaraje Gowda has been arrested in a sexual abuse case. 

Speaking to reporters while being taken to the district prisons, in Hassan on Friday, Gowda alleged that he was offered Rs 100 crore to drag the name of H D Kumaraswamy in the Prajwal’s case. 

“D K Shivakumar had offered me Rs 100 crore to project that H D Kumaraswamy was behind the case. The offer was made through ministers N Chaluvarayaswamy, Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge and another minister. They had even sent Rs 5 crore as advance to Bowring Club. But I did not agree. Hence, they hatched a plot to trap me,” Gowda alleged.

“It is D K Shivakumar, who collected all information from Prajwal Revanna’s former car driver Karthik and readied the pen drive. A team of four ministers were formed to handle the issue. As I did not agree to the plan. They planned to bring disrepute to the BJP, Narendra Modi and H D Kumaraswamy,” he said.

Gowda further alleged that former MLC M A Gopalaswamy of Channarayapatna was sent to him for negotiation.

“The main intention of D K Shivakumar is to bring disrepute to Modi and BJP in the case. Besides, he wanted to defame H D Kumaraswamy’s leadership in the state” he claimed. “They filed a sexual harassment and rape case against me, but found no evidence. Now, they are trying to fix me in the pen drive case” he alleged.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Monday said the state government will settle Rs 80 lakh unpaid hotel bill of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stay, who arrived in Mysuru in April last year to commemorate 50 years of Project Tiger, an event organised by the Union government's National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

He was speaking to reporters at his office about the non-payment of pending bills to Radisson Blu hotel. 

"The event to celebrate the 50 years of Project Tiger was organised by the NTCA at a time when Karnataka was under the model code of conduct in view of the Assembly elections. The state government did not take part in the event. The state, however, will foot the hotel bill," he said.

The celebration had cost a whopping Rs 6.33 crore but the NTCA had paid only Rs 3 crore. "The hotel wrote to the Forest Departments as the local officials helped NTCA in coordinating the programme. By paying the bill, we will put an end to the confusion," he said.