The Great Indian Elections have wound to a close. But it would not have been possible without the Indian Air Force (IAF) which logged over 1000 hours of flight time and did 1750 sorties in two months to airlift election manpower and equipment required for the successful conduct of parliamentary polls.
Helicopter assets of Indian Army (IA) and BSF were also deployed to ensure smooth conduct of general elections.
“IAF played a vital role in five of the seven phases of General Elections 2024, flying over 1000 hours in over 1750 sorties. This herculean task was achieved through close coordination with Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Election Commissioners (CECs) of various states through nodal officers in order to optimize utilisation of assets factoring security, weather, road connectivity,” the Ministry of Defence stated in an official statement.
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Through its transport aircraft and copter fleets, the IAF helped the ECI reach remote corners of the country and to places where movement by road was a security concern, including Naxal infested places in Chhattisgarh. The task was time bound as polling officers had to be positioned at each remote polling station two days prior to the election date and de-inducted on the day of polling, the MoD observed.
After the seventh phase of polling came to an end on June 1, the ECI had expressed gratitude to the entire election machinery including security forces for their dedication and commitment in providing smooth, peaceful and festive environment to voters across the country, braving tough weather, logistical challenges like tough terrains and managing law and order in a diverse demography.