On the orders of the High Court, the Central Election Officer broke the locks of the Dharmapuri Election Strong Room of VRK College. In the 2018 assembly elections, Congress candidate Adluru Laksam Kumar approached the High Court claiming that he contested for the Dharmapuri assembly constituency and lost by a margin of 441 votes, and that the then officials did not favor the ruling party in the counting of the election votes. The High Court has ordered a re-counting. As the officials informed that the key of the strong room could not be found, the Central Election Officers broke open the strong room of Dharmapuri in VRK College in the district after the High Court ordered to break the locks of the strong room.

 17 C document will be crucial in strong room with 268 EVMs.

17C is going to be the most important in the background that the number of votes registered in EVMs and the votes registered in 17C by the officials have to be matched in the counting of votes. Officials have engaged in scrutiny of 17 C roles. The video taken during the counting of votes is also being examined. It is said that the observation of 17 C characters is likely to continue till night on Sunday 23.04.2023.