One polling station in Okhaldhunga sees no voters
Chief District Officer Mekh Bahadur Mangrati confirmed that no voters had turned up at the Toksel polling centre by mid-morning.
KATHMANDU: Voters at a polling centre in Manebhanjyang Rural Municipality–7, Toksel, Okhaldhunga, did not cast a single ballot until 10:30 am on Thursday, staging a boycott in protest against the government’s failure to begin construction of a promised provincial hospital.
Chief District Officer Mekh Bahadur Mangrati confirmed that no voters had turned up at the Toksel polling centre by mid-morning. According to local representatives, residents have decided to abstain from voting to pressure the provincial government to fulfill its commitment.
Chairperson of Manebhanjyang Rural Municipality, Gyanendra Rumdani, said there are 701 registered voters at the centre. He explained that the protest stems from delays in establishing a provincial-level hospital in the area. “The provincial government had sought 165 ropanis of land for the hospital, and locals collectively provided it. However, only Rs 2 to 2.5 million was allocated annually, which was spent merely on leveling the ground,” Rumdani said. “Recently, the government has not addressed the issue at all. As a result, citizens have boycotted the vote.”
He added that local political parties and elected representatives held repeated discussions with residents, urging them not to obstruct the electoral process. “We held talks for two days and requested them not to deprive themselves of their right to vote. But they said they would refrain from voting to exert pressure on the government. Despite our efforts, no agreement was reached,” he said.
Voting for the House of Representatives election began at 7:00 am nationwide and will continue until 5:00 pm.
