High Security Alert Issued for Bajura Amidst History of Electoral Violence

Dhangadhi. This time, high security surveillance will be maintained during the elections in Bajura, a hilly district in Sudurpashchim Province. Special precautions are being taken in this district, which has historically experienced clashes, booth capturing, and violent incidents during elections.

The local administration has placed Bajura under high security alert this time. Learning from past shortcomings, the security agencies have prepared a strategy to increase manpower and monitor polling stations using modern technology.

In Bajura, there has been some form of unrest in most elections since 2048 BS. The main security challenge here is the trend of polling centers being captured based on the stronghold of political parties, preventing voters of the opposition party from reaching the booths, and casting fraudulent votes right in front of the staff.

According to the staff deployed for the election, in the past, security personnel and staff were forced to remain helpless even when rigging occurred right before their eyes. In the 2079 House of Representatives election, two youths died in Bajura. The practice of casting fraudulent votes is also seen in Bajura's neighboring district, Mugu.

According to the Sudurpashchim Province Police Office, a special security plan has been implemented this time to prevent anarchy in the hilly districts. The Provincial Police Chief and DIG Om Bahadur Rana stated that Bajura has been given high security priority.

"If anyone has the idea of capturing booths or creating a mob like in the past, it will not be fulfilled. This time we are maximizing the use of technology," he said.

Under the security plan, CCTV cameras have been installed at polling stations deemed sensitive. This will allow direct monitoring of who comes to the polling center and what activities they are engaged in, from both district and provincial levels. Furthermore, arrangements have been made for drone cameras to patrol from the sky in areas that are geographically remote and considered highly sensitive from a security perspective.

Security teams have been mobilized to immediately take control upon observing any suspicious activity based on drone and CCTV footage. The police stated that helicopters are also kept on standby to provide immediate additional support if necessary.

According to the District Chief Election Officer Sanjiv Pokharel, 77 polling stations and 119 polling centers, including one temporary one, have been designated in Bajura this time.

Out of the total 77 polling stations, 62 have been placed on the highly sensitive list. This means that approximately 80 percent of the polling stations in the district have high security risks. Analyzing this very risk, the District Administration Office, Bajura, has deployed a heavy presence of security personnel.

Bajura's Chief District Officer Dorendra Niraula informed that more than 1,000 security personnel have been mobilized in the district to conduct the election in a fear-free environment.

"709 staff have already reached the polling centers, and the security personnel have taken their positions; voters do not need to worry about security. They can vote with confidence," he said.

Security arrangements have also been tightened in other areas of Sudurpashchim, not just in Bajura. According to the Provincial Police Office in Dhangadhi, an integrated security plan has been implemented in all nine districts of the province.

According to DIG Rana, a total of over 30,000 security personnel, including Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Election Police, and the Nepali Army, have been mobilized for election security, with over 7,000 Nepal Police and 13,500 Election Police directly deployed in the field.

Across the province, there are 1,176 polling stations and 2,199 polling centers. Among these, 481 polling stations and 985 polling centers are on the highly sensitive list, and 395 polling stations are on the sensitive list. Security agencies have placed the silence period, which began Monday night, under special surveillance. To prevent activities that could influence voters, such as distributing money or intimidation, 177 mobile patrol teams and 20 reserve teams have been kept on 24-hour standby. SSP-level officers from the province have themselves been deployed in the field.

Just before the election, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal conducted an on-site inspection of the security situation in the districts of Sudurpashchim. Discussing with security officials in areas including Dhangadhi on Sunday and Monday, Minister Aryal directed that those engaging in anti-election activities would not be spared.

"Complaints used to arise in the past in Sudurpashchim about illegal acts like booth capturing and casting fraudulent votes," Home Minister Aryal said at a security meeting. "This time, such things will not be allowed to happen. If anyone tries to take the law into their own hands, strict action will be taken."