Kathmandu — Voting in Nepal’s House of Representatives election concluded peacefully across the country on Thursday. However, voters who were already standing in line at some polling centers were still allowed to cast their ballots after the official voting period ended.
Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said preliminary estimates indicate that around 60 percent voter turnout was recorded nationwide. He shared the information during a press conference held after the completion of the voting process.
Boycott Reported at Some Polling Centers
Despite the largely peaceful voting process nationwide, some polling centers reported no voter participation due to local boycotts.
In Dang district, no voters arrived at the polling center located at Deuti Secondary School in Babai Rural Municipality-7 (Tallo Malai). The area falls within the Banke National Park region, where residents have been demanding relocation of their settlements. Locals have expressed dissatisfaction after their relocation demands remained unaddressed.
A similar situation was reported in Okhaldhunga district, where residents did not participate in voting at the Toksel polling center in Mane Bhanjyang Rural Municipality-7.
Local Dissatisfaction Over Government Commitments
Local residents there had earlier provided land for the construction of a provincial hospital after the provincial government announced plans for the project. However, locals say the hospital construction process has not begun, which has led to frustration in the community.
Election Commission Responds
Journalists questioned Acting Chief Election Commissioner Bhandari about the incidents during the press conference. Bhandari said the refusal to vote in those locations appeared to reflect public dissatisfaction with government commitments, rather than issues related to the Election Commission.
“There are two or three places where voters refused to participate. This is not a question related to the Election Commission. It appears that certain promises were made by the government, and voters are expressing dissatisfaction with the government,” Bhandari said.
He added that the number of such cases remains very small compared with the overall nationwide voter participation. Bhandari also said there were no reports of voters leaving polling centers without voting, and the election process remained peaceful and orderly across the country.
