Patna: Training for officials and personnel engaged in Bankipur assembly byelection began at the collectorate here on Tuesday, with election authorities conducting the first phase for master trainers on the operation of electronic voting machines (EVMs), voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) units and other polling procedures.The training for master trainers will continue till Wednesday. They will, in turn, train polling personnel and presiding officers.According to the election schedule, the first phase of training for polling personnel will be held at Patna High School, Gardanibagh, on July 16, 17 and 18, while the second phase is scheduled for July 23 and 24 at the same venue.Training for the EVM collection team will be conducted at the Patna collectorate on July 29. Officials assigned to vote counting will undergo their first training on Aug 2, followed by a second session on the same day at the collectorate’s main auditorium.District election officer-cum-district magistrate Kundan Kumar directed all polling and counting officials to attend the sessions seriously to ensure smooth conduct of polling and counting without operational difficulties.The training programme is part of the preparations for the upcoming Bankipur assembly byelection, with the district administration stepping up readiness through phased capacity-building of election personnel.