Bajura, November 22

Mock polls conducted by the District Election Office, Bajura, have been limited to the bazaar and roadside areas of the district.

Mock polls are conducted to teach voters the correct method of voting and reduce the number of invalid votes. However, the District Election Office of Bajura is conducting mock election only in those areas connected to roads and which are convenient for its staffers.

The District Election Office has conducted mock polls in Falasain, Kolti, and Martadi of the district so far. All these places are linked with road. Of the total population, 88 per cent people of the district live in remote areas, which are not connected to major roads.

As many as 100 voter education facilitators have been deployed at 100 voting centres. Though they have the responsibility of teaching voters how to vote and are supposed to focus on people of far-flung areas, these facilitators have failed to reach the people of remote areas.

Information Officer Man Bahadur Thapa at the District Election Office, however, said that mock polls were held at convenient places by covering voters of adjoining villages.

“We have conducted mock elections keeping in view voters from different places,” Thapa added. He said voters from rural areas also took part in the mock elections conducted at various places of the district by the District Election Office.