Lok Sabha

Election Commission

elections

Security was stepped up in three counting centres in Chennai after the police received a bomb threat on late on Wednesday night.An anonymous caller told Chennai’s police control room that bombs had been planted at three counting centres, and that they would go off the day the votes for thepolls will be counted (today).The police conducted search operations in all three centres -- Anna University, Loyola College and Queen Mary's College -- but no bombs were found.The caller had also claimed that bombs would go off at two other places including a government hospital. The police have received several such threat calls since May 1, when twin blasts aboard the Bangalore- Guwahati Express at Chennai central claimed the life of a 24-year-old TCS employee and left 14 others injured.Thewill today count some 550 million votes cast in the Lok Sabha. Counting at 989 centres across the country will begin at 8 am. Election Commissioner H S Brahma said all data accruing from the process would be updated on the poll panel’s website after every five minutes.The final tally will be clear by midday. Although the count would begin at 8 am, about one million officials from the central and state governments would assemble at the counting centres at 5 am.The BJP has planned elaborate victory celebrations when Narendra Modi will thank the people of Vadodara and Varanasi, from where he contested, and address a rally in Ahmedabad and a victory march in Delhi in two days.