Lucknow, Feb 18 (IANS): Training of district magistrates ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections has started in the state, an official said Tuesday.

During the three-day training module, which started Monday and ends Wednesday, 39 district magistrates (DMs) would be trained on various aspects of the election such as how to conduct free and fair polls.

Three former bureaucrats, with rich experience in conducting polls - Madhukar Dwivedi, Madhusudan Rayzada and R.N. Singh - have been roped in by the Election Commission of India (ECI) as 'master trainers' to conduct the programe.

The DMs, who during the elections would be district electoral officers, are also being educated on issues like paid news, None of the Above (NOTA) option on the electronic voting machines (EVMs), an election official told IANS.

The EC plans to hold these training schedules in batches of 25 DMs each after which there would be separate training for law enforcement officials, including district police chiefs.

Material related to elections has also been handed over to the officials so that once the Lok Sabha polls notification is issued, no time is lost and the district magistrates get on with their work without "any confusion or ambiguity", the official added.

Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats and is very crucial for all political parties. With a chequered history of political violence, the state is on the watch of the poll panel and a massive security set-up is likely to be put in place.