Home minister assures of foolproof security for Province 2 polls

Published On: September 3, 2017 03:00 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, September 3: Home Minister Janardan Sharma said that the government has arranged fool-proof security to hold free and fair elections in Province 2 as he urged voters to cast their ballot without any fear.

Eight districts of the central tarai, which have altogether one metropolitan city, three sub-metropolises, 73 municipalities and 59 rural municipalities, are scheduled to go for polls on September 18.

Sharma said that the government is taking all necessary precautions even though he clarified that the Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees the security affairs, does not see any special threats to polls security.

With the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) coming on board the elections, security agencies are now expecting minor challenges from secessionist groups and underground outfits. Some underground outfits consider Province 2 as their main base.

Though Sharma did not categorically mention the secessionist groups or underground outfits, he said that the government has beefed up security along the border to stop any untoward happenings during the elections. The eight districts going to polls on September 18 border Indian state of Bihar.

"Security officials on both sides of the border have been holding meeting for arrangement of polls security," Sharma told reporters at Simara airport in Bara district on Saturday. Sharma, who is a CPN (Maoist Center) leader, was on his way to attend the party's standing committee meeting in Parsa district.

Like in the earlier elections, the government has planned a three-tier security in Province 2 polls with Nepal Army guarding the outer periphery. President Bidya Devi Bhandari has already given permission to mobilize the NA personnel for the purpose.

The home minister is yet to disclose the exact number of security personnel mobilized in the region.

Keeping in view the logistical and security arrangements, the Election Commission has fixed 3,578 polling centers for Province 2 which has around 26,64,950 voters.