KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 27
The Election Commission today decided to hold repolling in 10 polling booths of Dolakha district on December 1, stating that election in those polling booths on November 20 was not held in a free, fair, and impartial manner, as seven booths were captured and 100 ballot papers were looted from three booths.
Repolling will be held in polling booths A, B, and C, of Baiteshwar Secondary School polling centre in Rural Municipality's Ward 6; polling booths A and B of Janajyoti Secondary School, Putalikath polling centre of Baiteshwar Rural Municipality's Ward 2; and polling booths A and B of Jafe polling centre in Tamakoshi Rural Municipality's Ward 3, as these booths were captured, the EC stated in its press release.
The Election Commission said that receipts of 100 parliamentary first-past-thepost ballot papers with serial numbers 0072901 to 0073000 went missing after security personnel tried to control the unruly mob at polling booth B of Kali Dhunga Secondary School polling centre on November 20, forcing it to conduct repolling in polling booths A, B, and C of the same polling centre.
The EC has directed Dolakha Election Office to initiate necessary steps to conduct repolling in the 10 polling booths.
It has urged the home ministry to provide necessary security for repolling in the 10 booths.
It asked its employees in Dolakha to invalidate all the ballot papers of the 10 booths and keep them in safe custody.
It has directed DolakhaDistrict Police to arrest all those who violated election laws on election day. The EC has also decided to take punitive action against government employees deputed on poll duty in the 10 polling booths for failing to maintain election sanctity.
CPN-UML leaders had accused the ruling alliance of capturing booths in seven polling centres.
The EC decided to conduct repolling in the 10 booths after its team investigated the matter.
There is only one Parliamentary FPTP constituency in Dolakha.
CPN-Maoist Centre candidate Ganga Karki is the ruling coalition's common candidate from Dolakha. UML has fielded Bal Krishna Siwakoti there.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 28, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
