Makwanpur Finalizes Preparations for Upcoming Elections; Security Tightened

Hetauda. Preparations for the upcoming elections in both constituencies of Makwanpur have reached the final stage. The Office of the Chief Election Officer in Hetauda is actively dispatching election officers along with necessary materials to the polling centers.

The process of deploying polling officers to the centers, which began on Falgun 17, is scheduled to continue until the 19th, with all polling stations expected to have staff and election materials by the 20th. Hari Dhakal, Chief of the Provincial Election Office Bagmati Province and Assistant Election Officer of Makwanpur, informed that all preparations for the election scheduled for Falgun 21 have reached the final phase.

Assistant Election Officer Dhakal stated that the staff will depart for the polling centers in a few days and the office is committed to conducting the election peacefully. According to Assistant Election Officer Dhakal, the farewell process for staff deploying to polling centers, along with the necessary election materials, began on Falgun 17.

'We are at the final point of preparation. The staff members are on their way to the centers with election materials,' he said. 'Voters will be able to participate enthusiastically on the upcoming 21st. The Election Commission has announced that the silence period will begin from 12 AM on Falgun 18, during which candidates and political parties must fully adhere to the election code of conduct. Full security arrangements have been made by the district security agencies. An environment has been created where voters can go to the polling centers without fear, cast their votes, and return home safely.'

He mentioned that although public transportation will be suspended on election day, special arrangements will be made for elderly, disabled, and infirm voters who cannot move around. Following past practices, arrangements will be made to bring them to the polling center with the permission of the polling officer and facilitate their voting.

2 Temporary Polling Stations in Makwanpur

For the upcoming elections, 167 polling stations and 374 polling centers have been designated across 102 wards in Makwanpur district. He stated that the district has a total of 315,334 voters.

Two temporary polling stations have been set up in Makwanpur. Dhakal informed that one polling station each will be located at Bhimphedi Jail and the District Administration Office, Makwanpur. There are 995 inmates, both male and female, at Bhimphedi Jail. However, only 75 names are on the voter list, comprising 3 female and 72 male voters. He added that the remaining inmates are not on the voter list.

Excluding the temporary polling centers, there are 167 polling stations in Makwanpur. Among these, 19 polling stations have been listed as highly sensitive from a security perspective. The District Security Committee meeting placed polling stations in 6 local levels out of the 10 local levels in the district on the highly sensitive list based on security sensitivity.

Out of the 167 polling stations across the district, 19 are listed as highly sensitive, 60 as sensitive, and 88 as normal. There are 26 polling centers located in the highly sensitive polling stations.

Bakaiya Rural Municipality has the highest number of highly sensitive polling stations with 5 stations and 7 polling centers, followed by Raksirang Rural Municipality with 6 stations and 6 centers, Bagmati Rural Municipality with 5 stations and 6 centers, Bhimphedi Rural Municipality with 1 station and 3 centers, Manahari Rural Municipality with 1 station and 3 centers, and Kailash Rural Municipality with 1 station and 1 center placed on the highly sensitive list by the District Security Committee Makwanpur.

Similarly, 60 polling stations and 123 polling centers in the district have been placed on the sensitive list. Sensitive polling stations include 7 stations and 31 centers in Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City, 9 stations and 17 centers in Thaha Municipality, 13 stations and 17 centers in Raksirang Rural Municipality, 8 stations and 15 centers in Bakaiya Rural Municipality, and 7 stations and 17 centers in Bagmati Rural Municipality.

Furthermore, 4 stations and 7 centers in Makwanpurgadhi Rural Municipality, 2 stations and 2 centers in Indrasarobar Rural Municipality, 4 stations and 4 centers in Bhimphedi Rural Municipality, 3 stations and 5 centers in Kailash Rural Municipality, and 3 stations and 8 centers in Manahari Rural Municipality have also been placed on the sensitive list. Makwanpur has 374 polling centers across 167 polling stations.

Makwanpur-1 constituency has 178 polling centers across 62 polling stations, with 158,434 voters. Makwanpur-2 constituency has 196 polling centers across 105 polling stations, with 156,899 voters. Makwanpur, which has 2 constituencies, has a total of 315,334 voters.

40 Candidates Opened Bank Accounts

Out of those who registered their candidacy for the upcoming House of Representatives election in Makwanpur, 40 have opened bank accounts, according to the Provincial Election Office Hetauda. Out of the 44 candidates, including independents, who filed nominations in the two constituencies of Makwanpur, 4 still need to open accounts.

According to Assistant Election Officer Dhakal, the candidate from Shram Sanskriti Party and one independent candidate are yet to receive recommendations. Dhakal stated that 40 people have opened accounts so far, and all candidates have been contacted by phone and urged to open accounts. In Makwanpur-1, 23 candidates registered their candidacy, and in Makwanpur-2, 21 candidates registered. Among them, Yunish Lama Syangtan, the candidate from Shram Sanskriti Party in Constituency No. 2, and independent candidate Sitamaya Bal are yet to receive recommendations. Sushila Subedi and Rakesh Kumar Sharma, independent candidates from Makwanpur-1, are yet to open bank accounts, he informed.

'We have asked those remaining to open accounts as well. Some candidates have responded that the expenses will be covered by the center, while others have replied that they are in the process of opening accounts,' Dhakal said.

The Election Commission introduced the provision for opening a bank account to ensure frugality and transparency in the financial assistance received for election publicity by political parties and candidates, and the expenses incurred for that publicity, thereby maintaining good governance in the election.