POKHARA, March 5: The Election Commission (EC) has reported that voting is proceeding peacefully across all 11 districts of Gandaki Province. According to figures recorded by 11 a.m., approximately 20 percent of registered voters had cast their ballots.
Rudra Neupane, spokesperson for the Provincial Election Office, said, “Within four hours, around 20 percent of votes were cast. We expect this number to rise over the next two hours. No polling stations in the province have reported any issues, and voters are casting their ballots smoothly.”
Phase II voter turnout 73.7: EC
Although there were concerns about seasonal challenges in the hilly districts, local election officials confirmed that voting is proceeding without problems. Lokendra Bahadur Gyawali, the election officer in Mustang, said nearly 30 percent of voters had already cast their ballots. “Voting is taking place at all polling stations in the district. The weather is also very favorable,” he added.
In another hilly district, Manang, voter turnout is slightly lower. Election officer Jeevan Kunwar reported that only 17 percent of votes had been cast so far. Narpa Bhumi Rural Municipality, the most remote area in Manang, remains out of communication. “Voting has taken place smoothly everywhere else, but we have no updates yet from Narpa Bhumi,” Kunwar said.
This election sees 1,870,065 registered voters across Gandaki Province.