Chitwan, March 14

As many as seven local bodies in Chitwan have 315,939 voters. They will be casting their ballot for 504 people’s representatives.

One metropolitan city, five municipalities and one rural municipality will elect 504 representatives in the district. Additional 20 representatives will be nominated from Dalit and minority groups. With this, total elected representatives from the people will reach 524.

Earlier, in the second Constituent Assembly, Chitwan had a total of 273,803 voters while in the last local election held in 1998, the voters’ number stood at 241,026.

District Election Office Chitwan Chief Hari Dhakal said that the number of voters might change as names of people who have had their photos taken at two places will be fixed at one place only.

The district had 378 voting centres at 141 places in the last Constituent Assembly poll.

Dhakal said that voting centers might increase. “Homework is under way to determine the voting centres,” he said.

Earlier, there were Bharatpur and Ratnanagar municipalities and 36 VDCs in the 1998 civic polls.

Each municipality and rural municipality will have one chief and one deputy chief. Each ward will have one chief and four members, including one female member. Three and two persons will be appointed from Dailts and minorities in the municipality and rural municipality respectively.

According to tDistrict Election Office, Bharatpur Metropolis will elect 147 people’s representatives. Of them, three will be nominated.

Home to 29 wards, Bharatpur Metropolitan City has 151,641 voters. Ratnanagar Municipality has 16 wards. The municipality will elect 85 representatives, including three nominated members. The municipality has 43,650 voters.

Since Khairahani Municipality and Rapti Municipality each have 13 wards, they will have 70 elected representatives with nominated members. Khairahani Municipality has 33,583 voters while Rapti has 30,208 voters. With 23,246 voters, Kalika Municipality will elect 60 people’s representatives with three nominated members.

Madi Municipality has just nine wards with 21,892 voters. The municipality will elect 50 representatives including three nominated persons.

The district has Ichhakamana Rural Municipality encompassing hilly VDCs of Kaule, Darechowk, Chandibhanjyang, Dahakhani. The rural municipality has seven wards. The rural municipality will elect 39 people’s representatives, including two nominated persons. The assembly has 11,717 voters.

News of the civic polls has elated the Chitwan folks. They believe that with the local election the district’s development will pick up pace.