Police Deploys High-Ranking Officers, Including SSPs, to Oversee Security in Highly Sensitive Election Constituencies

Ratopati February 26, 2026

Police Deploys High-Ranking Officers, Including SSPs, to Oversee Security in Highly Sensitive Election Constituencies

Kathmandu. The Police Headquarters has deployed high-ranking officers to form a 'Special Command' in districts identified as highly sensitive for the House of Representatives elections. Security personnel are being mobilized under the leadership of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in districts expected to see heavyweight contests.

SSPs are commanding the election security in districts including Jhapa, Ilam, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Dolakha, Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, and Rupandehi. Govinda Adhikari has been assigned to lead security in Jhapa district for the House of Representatives election scheduled for Falgun 21. SSP Adhikari will command security for both Jhapa and Ilam districts.

SSP Suresh Kafle has been sent to oversee Sarlahi and Rautahat. Nanti Raj Gurung is assigned to Dolakha, Binod Silwal to cover Kavre and Sindhupalchowk, Rishi Ram Kandel for Rupandehi and Kapilvastu, Janardan GC for Kaski and Syangja, and Rajendra Prasad Dhamala for Doti and Achham.

Police Spokesperson (DIG) Abhi Narayan Kafle told Ratopati that SSPs have been deployed as additional support in 31 districts assessed as sensitive. He stated, 'We have sent additional support, with SSPs coordinating security in Terai districts and SPs in the hill districts.'

From a security threat perspective, the Terai districts are assessed to have a higher 'threat' level. Superintendents of Police (SPs) have been mobilized to command security in 46 districts in the hilly regions.

SSP Prabhu Dhakal has been assigned to oversee Sindhuli and Makwanpur, which are assessed as having security threats. SSP Dilip Ghimire has been assigned to look after Nuwakot and Rasuwa.

Jhapa is considered the most challenging district. KP Sharma Oli, Chairman of CPN (UML), and Balendra Shah (Balen), senior leader of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and former Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, are contesting from Jhapa-5. The outgoing Speaker Devraj Ghimire and outgoing Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar are set to face off in Jhapa. Anticipating a major power struggle between UML and RSP, an SSP along with an SP has been deployed in Jhapa to exclusively manage Jhapa-5.

According to Police Headquarters sources, SP Rukesh Tandukar has been assigned solely to Jhapa-5. SP Dillinarayan Pandey has been sent to Ramechhap, Sunil Malla to Tanahun, Mukunda Prasad Rijal to Kalikot, Pushpa Raj Malla to Rukum East, Birendra Thapa to Bajura, Prem Shahi to Bajhang, and Dil Bahadur Malla to Arghakhanchi.

An additional 900 police personnel have been mobilized as supplementary support in Jhapa. Twenty-three senior officers (Inspector rank and above) are deployed there.

SP for Every Area in the Valley

Police Superintendents (SPs) will command the direct election security in the Kathmandu Valley. A police headquarters official stated that each constituency has been assigned an SP to lead security management. An SP is responsible for security management in each of the 15 constituencies in the Valley.

SSPs have been given the responsibility of security monitoring in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur. SSP Ramesh Basnet has been assigned to monitor election constituencies number 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Kathmandu. Somendra Singh Rathore is assigned to constituencies number 5, 6, and 7, Navraj Adhikari to constituencies number 8, 9, and 10, and Santosh Khadka to Lalitpur. SSP Pravin Dhital has been given the responsibility of monitoring security in Bhaktapur.