Claims have circulated on social media and some online media outlets stating that Kathmandu Metropolitan City Former Mayor and senior Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balen Shah returned to Kathmandu without landing in Jhapa because he had not obtained permission from the Election Commission to use a helicopter.
However, an Election Commissioner said in a conversation with BBC that the claim is not correct. Speaking to BBC News Nepali, Election Commissioner Sagun Shumsher Jabara said that three leaders had been granted permission to use helicopters on the day of voting.
“I granted permission for Gagan Thapa, Balen Shah, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to use helicopters,” Jabara told the BBC. According to him, all three leaders were given permission to use helicopters on Wednesday.
Balen Was Heading to Jhapa After Voting in Kathmandu
Balen Shah cast his vote at his designated polling center in Kathmandu on Thursday morning. After that, he departed by helicopter to travel to Jhapa–5, the House of Representatives constituency where he is contesting the election.
However, the helicopter returned to Kathmandu without landing in Jhapa. According to Balen Shah’s secretariat, the helicopter was turned back after receiving information that there could be a possible clash or security problem if it landed in Jhapa.
The secretariat said the helicopter returned to Kathmandu without landing in Jhapa after considering the potential security risks.
Election Commission Had Granted Permission to Use Helicopters
According to the Election Commission, Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa, Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balen Shah, and Nepal Communist Party leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ had been granted permission to use helicopters on the day of voting if necessary.
Commissioner Jabara said they had also urged the leaders to consider factors such as security, weather conditions, and restrained use when operating helicopters. “We have asked them to use helicopters in a restrained manner while considering security and weather conditions,” he said.
According to the Election Commission, permission to use vehicles must be obtained from the respective district, while permission to use helicopters is granted by the Commission’s central office.
Prachanda is a voter in Chitwan, while Balen Shah and Gagan Thapa are voters in Kathmandu. However, all three leaders are contesting elections in constituencies outside their voter districts.
