Election Commission Rules Out Re-polling in Dolakha After Voting Disruption

Kathmandu. Despite voting being obstructed for about 5 hours at the Golmeshwor Secondary School polling station in Tamakoshi Rural Municipality-4, Dolakha, the Election Commission has clarified that there will be no re-polling there. The Commission stated that voting has been completed following the dispute and tension, and the ballot boxes have already been brought to the district headquarters.

Election Commission Secretary Krishna Bahadur Raut stated that there is no situation requiring re-polling at that polling center in Dolakha. He said, 'Elections have been completed in Tamakoshi; there is no situation for re-polling.' He also informed that there is no situation requiring re-election at any polling station across the country this time.

The voting process was disrupted early in the morning at the Golmeshwor Secondary School polling station following a dispute between staff and party cadres. The situation became more tense when some individuals affiliated with the Nepali Congress fled with a bundle of ballot papers during the dispute. Police also fired two rounds in the air to bring the situation under control.

Representatives from the Rastriya Swatantra Party and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) left the polling station after voting was halted for a long time.

About 300 votes were cast before the dispute, and re-voting resumed from 4 PM. However, due to the prolonged obstruction, many voters had already returned home, making the voting ineffective. Only 698 votes were cast at the center, which has over 2,500 registered voters. Although re-polling was anticipated due to the low voter turnout, the Commission rejected that possibility and reported that the ballot boxes were brought to the district headquarters after completing the necessary documentation.