Home Minister Assures Free, Fair Elections Amidst Security Review in Dolakha

Dolakha. Home Minister Omprakash Aryal has stated that the House of Representatives election scheduled for this Falgun 21 will be conducted in a clean, impartial, and fear-free environment. He made these remarks today while inspecting and monitoring a polling station in Baitehswar Rural Municipality, Dolakha.

Home Minister Aryal mentioned that past shortcomings will be corrected to ensure this election is clean, impartial, and free from rigging. Minister Aryal also instructed the concerned officials to create an environment for conducting the election confidently and peacefully.

At a program organized after the inspection, he urged all concerned parties to be vigilant about false, misleading, and propaganda information spread on social media and to focus on preparations in their respective constituencies.

This morning, a team including Home Minister Aryal and Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ramprasad Bhandari monitored the rural municipality's polling station and discussed election security.

The monitoring team included Armed Police Force Inspector General Raju Aryal, Nepal Army Adjutant General Pradipjung KC, Police Additional Inspector General Ganesh Thada Magar, Home Ministry Spokesperson Anand Kafle, Deputy Spokesperson Rama Acharya, Police Deputy Inspector General Bishnu Bhatta, Chief Election Officer Ramprasad Neupane, Dolakha Chief District Officer Hariprasad Ghimire, and Baitehswar Rural Municipality Chairman Chhabi Lama, among others.

According to Deputy Spokesperson Acharya, the discussion involved gathering information about the 2079 local elections and the House of Representatives elections, as well as being briefed on the security plan for the House of Representatives election. It was reported that security has been tightened at various checkpoints, taking into account the sensitivity and issues encountered at polling stations in the past.

During the occasion, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Bhandari urged the active participation of all stakeholders to conduct the election in an impartial and fear-free environment. He stressed the need to ensure pre-election work and election security by considering the sensitivity of past elections, identifying potential problems, and ensuring preparedness.

Chief Election Officer Neupane provided information on the current status of the election, stating that coordination is ongoing among security agencies and that surveillance has been increased on those who obstructed voting in the past. Chief District Officer Ghimire briefed on the election situation in the district. Armed Police Force Inspector General Thapa provided information regarding security in the district.

Baitehswar Rural Municipality has eight polling stations, 21 polling centers, and a voter population of 18,422. Voter turnout in that area is typically between 90 and 95 percent.