POKHARA, Nov 20: More than 50 percent of votes have been cast in the mountain districts of Manang and Mustang, according to the election officials there. Electoral officials have said that in Mustang, a district across the Himalayas, 51 percent of votes were cast and in Manang, another Himalayan district, 55 percent of the eligible voters cast their votes.
Mustang Election Officer Madan Aryal said that 51 percent of the votes have been cast till 2 pm. There are 10,957 voters in Mustang. Similarly, Electoral Officer Pushpa Raj Sharma said that in another Himalayan district, Manang, around 55 percent votes were cast. There are a total of 6,779 voters in Manang. Only 50 percent of votes were cast in Manang in the local elections held last May.
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The remotest polling stations in Manang are Nar and Foo villages in the upper region. The election office said that there is a discussion about using a helicopter to bring the ballot boxes from those villages of Narpa Bhumi Rural Municipality to the district headquarters. After walking for two days, the employees reached that village to conduct the elections.
“We have ordered a helicopter for Nar and Phu. If it is not possible today, the ballot boxes will be brought tomorrow only," Election Officer Sharma said, "Since the election time will be till 5 o'clock and weather problems will occur by that time, it is not certain whether the ballot boxes can be brought today or not." He said, “It is not easy to carry the ballot boxes as there is no possibility of carrying it since the footpath is difficult. Therefore, even if we wait for today, we will bring the ballot boxes by helicopter by tomorrow.”
Samjung village of Lo Manthang Rural Municipality-2 is the farthest one in Mustang. Only small cars go there. It takes about two hours to reach Lo Manthang by car from Samjung. It takes over five hours to get to Jomsom, the capital, from Lo Manthang by car. There is a plan to bring the ballot boxes to Jomsom by midnight. There was no talk about the helicopter," said Aryal, the election officer of Mustang.
