Final Preparations Underway for Karnali Province House of Representatives Election on Falgun 21

Surkhet. All preparations for the House of Representatives election to be held in Karnali Province on Falgun 21 are in the final stages. With only nine days remaining until the election, security mobilization has been tightened in relevant areas, and the transportation of election-related materials is ongoing.

Ram Prakash Shah, Spokesperson for the Karnali Province Police Office and Senior Superintendent of Police, informed Ratopati that election materials have reached all ten districts.

The process of transporting materials from the districts to the respective polling stations is now underway. He stated, "The work of sending all election-related materials is in progress. Tomorrow and the day after, additional manpower and other supplies meant for all districts will have arrived."

According to him, more than 15,000 police personnel and election police are deployed for election security. This includes 5,580 Nepal Police personnel and 9,742 election police.

Karnali Province Police Chief, Deputy Inspector General Jayaraj Sapkota, has already issued special directives to the police personnel being deployed to the districts to ensure the House of Representatives election on Falgun 21 is conducted in a fair, independent, and fear-free environment.

Similarly, the Nepal Army has taken charge of the security of airports and prisons in Karnali. The Army has assumed security responsibility for these areas as they are considered sensitive.

Shah stated that the Army has been deployed to secure the six airports located in Surkhet, Rukum, Dolpa, Mugu, Jumla, and Humla districts, as well as nine prisons in Karnali. "The Army has already taken over the duty," he said.

There are concerns regarding potential problems with election materials and voting in the mountainous districts of Karnali. According to Shah, there are plans to mobilize helicopters for transporting election materials to polling stations in remote areas of the mountainous districts and for collecting ballot papers after voting. He said, "There is a plan for 'heli-drop' for now and collection by helicopter after the election. We have already sent plans to the districts accordingly."

Furthermore, security agencies in the mountainous districts have increased their focus on additional centers. Problems are particularly arising in the Himalayas due to snow. The Army is conducting regular patrols there, and in geographically remote areas inaccessible by road networks, patrols are also being conducted with the help of horses.

The total number of eligible voters in Karnali is 1,037,250. However, it is estimated that only 60-70 percent of them will cast their votes. Additionally, there are 941 polling stations and 1,437 voting centers here.