In a landmark operation ahead of the Nuapada by-election, an Indian Air Force helicopter successfully carried out a night landing at the Gotma airstrip in Nuapada on Saturday at around 8:10 pm.

The operation marked the first time a military aircraft had landed safely at night in the district, paving the way for the secure transportation of polling parties to Maoist-affected areas.

Officials said the air operation was conducted to move election personnel to remote polling stations in the Sunabeda region, where ground access remains risky due to Maoist activity and difficult terrain.

District Election Officer and Collector Madhusudan Das confirmed the successful landing, noting that the airstrip had been specially prepared to enable night operations. The Collector added that the operation

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