Ghandaki Province Finalizes Preparations for House of Representatives Elections Amid Weather Concerns

Pokhara. Preparations for the House of Representatives elections in Ghandaki Province have reached the final stage. This was informed during an interaction with journalists by the Provincial Election Office, Pokhara, on Saturday. Nearly 21,000 personnel and volunteers will be mobilized in Ghandaki Province. Of these, 14,350 are employees and 7,065 are volunteers. Preparations are underway for all teams, including the Chief Election Officers and Assistant Election Officers, to reach the polling stations by Falgun 18.

According to Provincial Election Officer Narayan Dhakal, all election materials, including ballot papers, have been received and are ready for distribution after being sorted for each polling center. Voter education programs are ongoing at the ward level in all 11 districts of the province. The voter education program, which started on Falgun 3, is concluding on Sunday.

However, the weather is anticipated to be a challenge for the elections on one hand. While there was an assessment that polling stations might need to be relocated due to snowfall in the mountainous regions of the province, Dhakal stated that as the weather gradually improves, an agreement has been reached to open the routes and conduct voting at the designated locations. According to him, the training for the Chief Election Officers and Assistant Election Officers has already been completed.

Snowfall has occurred in Shanta village in Baragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality of Mustang district, a trans-Himalayan district, at an altitude of about 4,400 meters, and in Nar and Phu villages of Narphu Rural Municipality in Manang district (at an altitude of about 4,200 meters).

The Election Office has stated that necessary medicines and health supplies have been prepared for the personnel deployed at polling stations above 3,000 meters in Gorkha, Myagdi, Mustang, and Manang. The process of voters who had left the mountainous regions to escape the cold in previous years returning is also ongoing.

Kaski's Chief Election Officer Himlal Belbase expressed the expectation of cooperation from everyone to conduct the election in a clean, impartial, and fear-free environment.

Kaski's Chief District Officer Rudradevi Sharma informed that a three-layer security arrangement has been put in place for the election. At the polling stations, a minimum of 8 to 30 Nepal Police personnel will be deployed, surrounded by the Armed Police Force in the outer layer, and the Nepal Army in the outermost layer.

Across Ghandaki Province, there are a total of 1,870,065 voters. The province has 1,297 polling stations and 2,396 voting centers designated. There are 21,693 temporary voters and 17 temporary polling stations established. In the 18 constituencies of the province, 234 candidates, including 30 independents, are competing in the electoral field. Among them, 29 are female and 205 are male. Kaski has the highest number of competing political parties with 18, while Manang has the fewest with 3 parties.