The Election Commission has set up 126 new polling stations in Naxalite-hit areas of Chhattisgarh, allowing residents of 126 villages to vote for the first time since Independence. The move is seen as a "triumph of ballot over bullet" and aims to ensure the participation of all citizens in the democratic process. The new polling stations have eliminated the hardships faced by voters, who no longer have to navigate through dense forests and face threats from left-wing extremists.