Ballot boxes have yet to be completed in Sankhuwasabha, airlifted to Khandbari

BIRATNAGAR: According to the election officer’s office, all ballot boxes will be collected in Sankhuwasabha by 12 midnight. Election Officer’s office said that ballot boxes of Kimathanka, Thudang and Ridak constituency which are farthest from Sankhuwasabha was brought to Khandwari by helicopter of the Nepali Army just a few minutes before.

Of the 278 voters in Kimathanka the ballot boxes that were brought by helicopter, 145 voted, similarly, only 16 voted in the Khudang polling station out of 69 voters, according to the election officer’s office.

Indra Prasad Sapkota, Assistant Election Officer, reported that 96 people voted out of 198 voters in the Ridak polling station. Army helicopters went to these areas to collect ballot boxes. Collecting ballot boxes from these polling stations used to take about 5 days on foot.

Ballot boxes have yet to arrive from Chamtang polling station, which is approximately 56 kilometers from the Sankhuwasabha headquarters in Khandbari. Ballot boxes from 11 Bhotkhola centers have been kept in Hatiya.

Deputy Electoral Officer Sapkota stated that they are ready to bring the ballot boxes from Bhotkhola and Silichong areas to Hatiya in Bhotkhola by evening. It is expected that all ballot boxes will be collected by 11 p.m. tonight.

Vehicles have been sent to all locations in coordination with the local administration, he said, and once it has been collected in one location, it is ready to be transported by vehicle.

Sapkota stated that approximately 80 ballot boxes have yet to arrive from the Silichong and Bhotkhola areas. According to the election officer’s office, votes in Sankhuwasabha can only be counted beginning Tuesday.