Kathmandu, July 31

The Election Commission today directed chief returning officer of Chitwan district to conduct repolling in Bharatpur-19 as soon as possible.

A meeting of the EC office bearers, including chief election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav, directed the Chief Returning Officer of Chitwan district Kabi Prasad Neupane to arrange security in all polling centres of Ward No 19 and announce repolling date and time as soon as possible.

The polls panel also directed the CRO to start vote counting once all ballot boxes of all polling centres arrived in the vote counting centre.

“We have directed to conduct repolling as soon as possible,” said EC spokesperson Surya Prasad Sharma. He said that the CRO of Chitwan district would announce poll date once he arranged election staffers.

CRO Neupane told THT that he would announce repolling date after holding meeting with the security agencies and government staffers. “I have just heard but am yet to get the EC’s directive,” said Neupane. He said that he would also hold discussion with other stakeholders — representatives of political parties — about the repolling and finalise the date and time.

A division bench of justices Om Prakash Mishra and Purushottam Bhandari yesterday quashed the petition filed by Gunjaman BK, UML candidate for Bharatpur Ward No 19 and advocate Tulsiam Pandey against the EC’s June 3 decision to conduct reelection.

The SC observed in its verdict that tearing of 90 ballot papers was an authorised capture of the vote counting station.

Two CPN-Maoist Centre cadres had torn as many as 90 ballot papers on midnight, May 29. UML Mayoral candidate Devi Gyawali was ahead of his nearest rival Renu Dahal, daughter of CPN-MC Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

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