New Delhi: Polling personnel would be airdropped in naxal-infected areas in three districts of Chattisgarh, as Election Commission (EC) has mobilised 5.5 lakh personnel and four lakh security forces for the smooth conduct of December 1 Assembly polls in four States.

Two MI-8 and four Chetak helicopters have been taken from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and polling personnel would be ferried to the interior areas of three naxal-infected districts of Bastar, Kanker and Dantewda, where at least 70 companies of paramilitary forces (approximately 7,000 personnel) would be deployed to install a sense of confidence among the electorate and take part in the polling, EC sources said.

Observing that all arrangements have been completed for the conduct of a free and fair poll in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Delhi, the sources said while 130 companies of paramilitary forces would be deployed in Chattisgarh, 122 companies would be in place in Madhya Pradesh, 100 companies in Rajasthan and 25 companies in Delhi, apart from the State police.

The Commission has also positioned a total of 320 observers for the polls, they said, adding that the "Commission is full readiness for the conduct of a free and fair polls".

A total number of 42,276 polling stations have been set up in Madhya Pradesh, followed by 35,705 in Rajasthan, 15,667 in Chattisgarh and 9,008 in Delhi.

Election authorities have described 4,410 polling stations in Rajasthan, 1,580 in Chattisgarh and 29 in Delhi as hyper-sensitive polling stations.

Similarly, as many as 11,859 polling stations in Madhya Pradesh, 4,529 in Rajasthan, 3,399 in Chattisgarh and 211 in Delhi as sensitive polling stations.

PTI