Celebs turn out to vote
Kathmandu
The first phase of civic polls was held on May 14. In the local elections held in 20 years, the excitement abounded in people including our celebrities. Like every other Nepali, these celebrities walked to the polling centres, queued up and cast their votes in hope for a change in the country.
“It was my first experience in the local elections. It was an exciting experience,” shared Miss Nepal 2005 Sugarika KC who cast her votes from Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Ward No 23. She voted as a responsible citizen, and was worried “about making mistakes while casting votes. When I went to the polling booth I felt it is a responsible act to select the right candidates”.
Giving up an opportunity to participate in a training in India, KC chose to stay back to exercise her right to vote. And she went with her mother (Gamala) to the voting booth at Shree Krishna Higher Secondary School which was “quite crowded”. “It was like a celebration!”
As the booth of Little Bird English School in Gokarneshwor Municipality 8, Jorpati was crowded in the morning, actor Keki Adhikari and her family members went there in the evening. And “the rain didn’t deter us from going to the voting centre”, she said of her first experience in the local elections.
For her it was “an opportunity to know about the local elections — its importance and the division of power in the local level”.
Director Dipendra K Khanal said his voting experience was “fun as people had gathered and were engaged in conversations”. At Amrit Boarding School, Mhepi from where he voted for Kathmandu Ward No 16, he found many voters were confused on selecting the candidates of Mayor.
“There were discussions — they were discussing about casting votes to right and good candidates than to people from major political parties. I felt that people are being aware about the candidates,” he, who knows the importance of voting, opined. “The election was well managed.”
To cast her votes from Kathmandu Ward No 7 at Pashupati Mitra Secondary School, Chabahil, actor Sarita Lamichhane walked “10-minute distance under the sun from my home along with husband Rishi and my neighbours in the morning around 8:30”. She lined up for around half-an-hour while observing the vibrant scenes of other voters; an election officer also recognised her as an actress.
Votes have been cast and these celebrities hope it will make a difference to develop the country.
“I have trusted some people and have voted them. I hope they will work for the benefit of society and nation. I feel that there will be changes in the days to come,” Adhikari stated. If not, she said she can question the people whom she have trusted and voted.
Khanal is looking forward to “good results though the results might not come as per the expectations. However, I hope that basic infrastructures will be developed in the days in future through the newly elected leaders”.
Lamichhane had planned not to vote but she changed her decision at the last moment. Through this election, she hopes “these elected representatives will work as per the expectations of the public”.
When many celebrities voted, there were some who didn’t. Some were waiting for the civic polls to be held in their provinces while some didn’t have their voter’s identity card.
Actress Karishma Manandhar couldn’t vote as she “didn’t have my voter’s identity card”. And she alleged her husband Binod Manandhar “didn’t register my name in the voter’s list in Kathmandu” on her Facebook page on May 14.
She blamed him for not making her migration certificate from Saptari (where her name has been listed in the voters’ list).
“He didn’t make my voter’s registration card for all these years. We live in Lazimpat, but he took the registration card of his and daughter’s making the migration certificate (from Saptari), but he didn’t think it is necessary to take mine. I asked him but he didn’t care,” she wrote.
