Your ballot is locked up in boxes and sealed inside strongrooms in seven locations in and around Calcutta, waiting to be counted on Monday, May 4.

Each centre is guarded by a heavy deployment of central paramilitary forces and police, arranged in a two-tier security ring to rule out complaints and tampering.

Strongroom centres in the city and its neighbourhood, and the constituencies whose EVMs are stored there:

• Kshudiram AnushilanKendra, BBD Bag —Chowrangee, Entally, Beleghata, Jorasanko, Shyampukur, Maniktala, Cossipore-Belgachia
• Baba Saheb AmbedkarEducation University,Ballygunge Circular Road —Ballygunge
• Ballygunge Government High School, Beltala Road — Rashbehari
• Shakhawat MemorialGovernment Girls High School, Lord Sinha Road —Bhabanipur
• St Thomas Boys High School, Diamond Harbour Road — Kolkata Port
• APC Ray Polytechnic College, Jadavpur — Bhangar
• Hastings House compound — Alipore
• Viharilal College, 20B, Judges Court Road —Behala Purba, BehalaPaschim, Kasba
• State Institute of Physical Education for Women, 20B, Judges Court Road —Tollygunge
• Gymnasium Hall, B.Ed College, 20B, Judges Court Road — Jadavpur
• Gurunanak DentalCollege, Panihati — Khardah, Dum Dum Uttar, Panihati, Kamarhati, Baranagar, Dum Dum
• Bidhannagar College — Bidhannagar, Rajarhat-New Town, Rajarhat-Gopalpur

Struck off

The Election Commission removed one strongroom from the list on Thursday: Gitanjali Stadium.

Trinamool Congress leader and Kasba candidate Javed Khan moved Calcutta High Court, challenging the EC’s decision. The venue had traditionally served as a strongroom for EVMs from multiple constituencies, including Kasba.

EVMs from the Kasba constituency have been shifted to Viharilal College on the Hastings House compound in Alipore.

The court heard arguments on Thursday, but the order was reserved till late in the evening.

Central forces guard a strongroom in Alipore

Security

A two-tier security arrangement, comprising central forces and state police, has been put in place to secure the strongrooms.

They will remain under constant surveillance until they are opened on May 4. Central forces are in charge of the strongrooms, while local police are deployed along the outer perimeters.

• The deployment at each strongroom centre depends on the number of constituencies whose EVMs are stored there.
• According to EC guidelines, one platoon has been allotted for every constituency. For example, Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra, which houses EVMs from seven Assembly constituencies, is guarded by seven platoons of central forces on the premises. One platoon comprises about 30-50 personnel, roughly a third of a company.
• Similarly, Shakhawat Memorial Government Girls High School on Lord Sinha Road, which houses EVMs from the Bhabanipur constituency, has one platoon of central forces.
• At all strongroom centres, the building gates and external perimeters are guarded by armed Kolkata Police personnel.
• The external perimeter of the strongrooms, including parking areas and entry gates, is managed by Kolkata Police.
• Security between the main gate and the strongroom is also handled by the police.
• Before being allowed entry into the compound, every individual is frisked to ensure that prohibited items such as matchboxes, arms or flammable material are not carried inside.
• The rooms where the EVMs are stored remain under lock and key and are guarded by armed central forces.
• Mobile phones are prohibited inside the strongrooms.
• The strongrooms are under 24x7 camera surveillance, with live monitoring in place.

Counting

The counting of votes will begin at 8am on Monday.

The strongrooms will be opened only at that time, in the presence of central forces and election officials.