Nepalgunj mayor to abstain from voting
KATHMANDU, MAY 31
The voting process for the by-election to elect a National Assembly member is underway in Lumbini province.
The voting that begun at 9:00 am today morning will last till 3:00 pm.
The result of the voting will be declared today itself.
Lumbini province Chief Minister Shankar Pohkhrel and other provincial ministers have already cast their ballot.
The Election Commission (EC) has arranged for observation of the voting process in the polling booths. Likewise, the announcement of voting results through a virtual medium has also been arranged for, in a bid to avoid unnecessary crowding amid the second wave of coronavirus pandemic, Assistant Election Officer Minraj Bhattarai was quoted as saying in Rastriya Samachar Samiti.
As many as three booths have been designated in Ghorahi of Dang for the election. Booths 'A', 'B', and 'C' have been designated for provincial assembly members, chiefs and deputy chiefs of local levels and Covid-19 infected local representatives, respectively, informed EC.
Chandra Bahadur Khadka from the ruling CPN-UML and Driga Narayan Pandey, a common candidate from the opposition alliance are vying for the vacant NA post.
Meanwhile, Nepalgunj mayor Dhawal Shumsher Rana, a RPP leader, has decided to abstain from voting. He reasoned that his first priority is to fight the pandemic and not get diverted by any other events.
