Hyderabad: The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), and other election materials from the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election held on Tuesday at 407 polling stations have been stored in the designated strong rooms set up at Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium in Yousufguda, amid tight security.

Election General Observer Ranjit Kumar Singh and Hyderabad District Election Officer R V Karnan inspected the reception and verification process.

The strong room, established under strict supervision of Election Commission officials, is being under multi-layered security arrangements, including CCTV surveillance, to ensure continuous monitoring and armed police personnel both from the central force and city police.

The election authorities have declared the surroundings of the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium a high-security zone with multi-layered barricades and restricted entry.

The premises are under 24/7 CCTV camera surveillance, with a functional control room staffed by election and police officers, while unauthorised entry is strictly prohibited.

Additionally, the police have set up check posts around the stadium and deployed special police teams for any emergency situations. To review security preparedness and access the strong rooms, senior police officers from the West Zone visited the stadium on Wednesday. At the scheduled time of counting of votes on November 14, the polled EVM strong room will be opened under security in the presence of candidates and election agents and central observers, before the counting of votes are carried out, said the District Election Office.