LUCKNOW, Aug. 20 -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) has begun preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly election, starting with a workshop in Gautam Buddha Nagar on Wednesday to train district election officials from 21 districts of western UP. The workshop was organised to train officials who will be associated with the assembly election process and the first-level checking (FLC) of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Officials from the ECI and the UP chief electoral officer's office attended the workshop. Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa said a day-long workshop was organised in Gautam Buddha Nagar to train officials on the FLC of EVMs. District magistrates, additional district election officers and FLC supervisors from 21 districts of western Uttar Pradesh participated in the workshop. "They were being given detailed information about the entire process that will be followed when the FLC of the machines is conducted in September, through lectures as well as hands-on training," he said. During the FLC, the EVMs are thoroughly checked, following which a random mock poll is conducted in the presence of representatives of recognised national and state political parties. The entire process is videographed, Rinwa said. After the first-level checking, the EVMs are sealed and kept in strong rooms, he said. Soon, workshops and training sessions for district election officials from the remaining districts will also be conducted. "Today's workshop is the start of the process for preparations for the upcoming assembly election," Rinwa said. Senior deputy election commissioner, ECI, Maneesh Garg said Wednesday's workshop was related to the FLC of EVMs, which is the first process carried out before elections. The Uttar Pradesh assembly election is likely to be held in February-March 2027. In 2022, the assembly election was held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. Counting of votes was held and results were declared on March 10....