KATHMANDU, May 31: The Election Commission (EC) seems to be reluctant in making any decision regarding the Bharatpur case. A meeting of officials including Chief Commissioner Dr Ayodhee Prasad Yadav and other commissioners of the EC held on Wednesday directed the district election officer of Chitwan district to provide the number of the tore out ballot paper.

On Monday, the EC had formed a probe panel led by Joint Attorney General Gita Prasad Timsina in which Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Mahesh Acharya and Additional Inspector General (AIG) Kedarman Singh Bhandari were members.  

The probe committee had submitted its report on the incident related to tearing up the ballot papers in Bharatpur Metropolitan City, at the EC Office on Wednesday.

The meeting of the EC started at around 3 pm on Wednesday afternoon ended around 8 pm but could not make any concrete decision regarding the issue.

The Chief Election Commissioner had said that it has not proposed to go for re-elections in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-19. Chief Election Commissioner Dr  Ayodhee Prasad Yadav said so when asked whether he is making such proposal to go for re-polling at a meeting underway at the Election Commission Office.

 “I have not proposed to go for reelections. The Information (that) you have received is absolutely false and immature,” CEC Yadav informed Republica Online in a text message.

The election in Bharatpur metropolis has been keenly observed nationwide after Maoist Center fielded Renu Dahal, the daughter of Prime Minster Pushpa Kamal Dahal, as its mayoral candidate for the metropolis forging an electoral alliance with the Nepali Congress (NC).

Before the incident, CPN UML's mayoral candidate Devi Gyawali was leading the poll by 733 votes. While Gyawali had received a total of 41,641 votes, Maoist Center's candidate Renu Dahal was trailing behind him with 40,908 votes.

 
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