Massive Crowds Gather as KP Sharma Oli Casts Vote Amidst Protests in Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur. Wherever CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli goes, a crowd invariably gathers. On Thursday, the day of the election, a crowd also gathered at the Mahendra Shanti Secondary School in Balkot, Bhaktapur, where Oli cast his vote. Following the 'Gen-Z' protest, local and foreign media were also present in large numbers in Balkot upon hearing the news that former Prime Minister Oli would be arriving to vote.

From 7 AM, a long queue of voters was visible at the Mahendra Shanti Secondary School in Balkot, which falls under Bhaktapur Constituency No. 2. There was enthusiasm among the voters, and the hustle and bustle was gradually increasing. I started a live stream on Ratopati's Facebook page. I moved forward to talk to the voters up close. When the police noticed me, they removed me from the area. Even after showing my press card, the police pushed me away, saying I could not live stream from there. In Balkot, which was heavily secured by the Nepal Police, army vehicles were seen moving back and forth repeatedly.

When the information arrived around 11:30 AM that UML Chairman Oli would arrive in Balkot to cast his vote, media personnel flocked to the location. There was a line of YouTubers ready to live stream, and international media outlets were also positioned to capture photos and videos of Oli casting his vote. Voters who had already cast their ballots waited upon hearing the news of Oli's arrival. Despite security personnel's repeated attempts to clear the area, no one moved away.

Former Prime Minister Oli, who has been residing in a rented room in Gundu after his house in Balkot was burned down during the 'Gen-Z' protest, arrived at the polling station, Mahendra Shanti Secondary School, at 12:10 PM. As soon as he moved forward to vote, the crowd surged towards him. Not just media personnel, but voters also surrounded him.

After UML candidate Oli entered the polling station from Jhapa-5, the gate of Mahendra Shanti Secondary School was closed. Other voters were not allowed to enter for a while. Even when some voters requested the security personnel to open the gate, it remained shut. A throng of media personnel moved towards another gate, from where Oli was exiting after voting. A huge crowd of media personnel had gathered outside the polling station gate to get a reaction from Oli; the security personnel could not control it. There was pushing and shoving for some time. Oli seemed ready to speak in front of the cameras, but it was difficult to even see his face amidst the crowd of cameras.

While Oli was surrounded by media personnel, a Gen-Z young woman rang a bell continuously from the roof of a house adjacent to Mahendra Shanti. Both Oli and his wife, Radhika Shakya, who was walking beside him, heard the sound of the bell. However, they did not react. The cadres accompanying Oli, managing the crowd and providing security, became extremely agitated. A cadre glanced up at the young woman standing on the roof and said, "Isn't she the DSP's daughter? Wait, we have taken photos. We will settle the score later."

While the Gen-Z woman kept ringing the bell from the roof, it seemed to taunt the UML supporters. That scene drew the attention of the journalists. However, due to the haste to get a reaction from Oli, no one had the time to capture photos or videos of the young woman.

After much pushing and shoving, Oli gave his reaction to the media in front of the house from whose roof the Gen-Z woman had been ringing the bell. There was a fierce scramble among local and foreign media to capture Oli's soundbite. As Oli was boarding his vehicle, the sight of a young boy standing on his father's shoulders joining his hands and saying, "Namaste, Namaste Ba" was poignant. After Oli sped off towards Gundu in his car, the media surrounded Mahesh Basnet, the UML candidate for Bhaktapur Constituency No. 2.

In Bhaktapur Constituency No. 2, there are 32 candidates, including Kabir Rana from Nepali Congress, Mahesh Basnet from UML, Rajeev Khatri from Rastriya Swatantra Party, Ram Prasad Sapkota 'Deepshikha' from the Communist Party of Nepal, and Janmadev Jaishi from Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party.