Chitwan, December 5

Senior police officers said providing security to VIP candidates was easier during the silence period than during election campaigns.

Keeping in mind the fact that VIP candidates are always under security threat, security forces and local administration have arranged security on the basis of the intensity of threat.

“All the candidates, including VIPs, confine themselves to their homes during the silence period, so it is easier for us to provide security,” Chitwan Superintendent of Police Deepak Thapa told The Himalayan Times.

The silence period for the second phase of provincial and parliamentary elections slated for Thursday started midnight yesterday.

According to SP Thapa, escorting leaders during election campaigns is very difficult given the fact that candidates do not follow strict schedules and are often moving around to several places. “But during the silence period, they are confined to their homes. Even if they go out, we analyse the security situation and escort them, which is much easier,” he said.

For Chitwan, police have deployed four dogs that specialise in sniffing out explosives and weapons. “We have already conducted checks using the dogs in areas where VIP candidates are staying,” he said.

Special operation squads under DSPs and Inspectors, 21 mobile teams under senior police officers, 21 striking teams and additional forces have been deployed as per the security analysis, said SP Thapa. According to him, additional police forces have been deployed at Madi, Chanauli, District Police office and Jutpani Shaktikhor.

According to another police officer, they have already ascertained sensitive areas as per intelligence inputs and security forces have been deployed accordingly.

According to Chitwan Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bhatt, the Ministry of Home Affairs has prescribed a standard guideline as far as VIP security is concerned, but the guideline can be modified as per the security situation of a particular area.

Acknowledging that providing security to VIP candidates was challenging, CDO Bhatt told THT, “We have adopted more caution when it comes to providing security to VIP candidates than general candidates.”

Although VIP candidates already have personal security offered by the Home Ministry, district-level security forces provide them with additional security as per the need.

“We continuously analyse the security threat, and modify our strategy if any lapses are found,” said CDO Bhatt. “We are also constantly sharing information with securities forces to make the security arrangement robust.”

According to CDO Bhatt, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepali Army and National Investigation Department have deployed their personnel in a coordinated manner for poll security.

CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Bikram Pandey, former finance minister Surendra Pandey and Minister for State Shesh Nath Adhikari are contesting the elections from Chitwan.

Nepali Congress General Secretary Shashank Koirala has filed his nomination from the newly created Nawalpur district, while Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa is contesting from Makawanpur.

Other VIPs include UML Chair and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli from Jhapa, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba from Dadheldhura, former home minister Bimalendra Nidhi from Dhanusha, Krishna Sitaula from Jhapa, former deputy prime minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara from Dang, former finance minister Bishnu Poudel from Rupandehi, Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav and Deputy Prime Minister Bijaykumar Gachhadar.