Vote counting in Budhiganga Municipality in limbo

By Sher Bahadur Sharki, Bajura, May 24: The vote counting of Budhi Ganga Municipality is still in limbo even after 11 days of local election for the election commission (EC) has not yet made a decision on whether to recount or revote.

According to the District Election Office, Bajura, vote counting was halted after a complaint was lodged with the Election Commission alleging that vote casting was performed only by cadres of parties in wards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9 of Budhi Ganga Municipality. 

A team led by Sugan Shamsher Rana of the Election Commission (EC), Chief District Officer, Upendra Raj Poudel, Mashav Prasad Ghimire of Chief Election Office, Bajura, Nabraj Awasthi Chief at District Election Office, Bajura, and Chaturbhuj Ojha, District Police Office, Bajura had directly monitored the polling stations in Budhi Ganga Municipality of Bajura district.

There are allegations of vote embezzlement and casting of fake votes in wards 2, 3,4,5,9, and 10 of the municipality. Locals allege that only the cadres of CPN (UML) and Nepali Congress (NC) cast their votes in ward 2, 3, 5, and 9 and ward 4 and 7 respectively, obstructing the involvement of common people in polling.

According to Nawaraj Awasthi, Chief at the District Election Office, Bajura, the commission has not yet made a decision on whether to recount votes cast in the Budhi Ganga Municipality on May 13 or to re-run polling.

Election Commission (EC) had stated in its press release on May 20 that no decision has been taken on holding the election or counting votes in the Budhi Ganga Municipality.

Even though the counting of votes, cast on the day of a local election, has been completed at the local level including Himali, Jagannath, Swamikartik, Budhinanda, Badimalika, Gomul, Chhededaha, and Triveni of Bajura in the local election held on May 13, the counting of Budhi Ganga Municipality has not been completed yet.

The election was held in a disciplined manner in seven out of nine local levels of Bajura. Vote counting in Budhinanda and Budhiganga municipalities has been stopped due to allegations of vote-rigging.

In Budhi Ganga Municipality-10, the polling started shortly even after the dispute between cadres of CPN (UML) and NC for both parties reached an agreement. Similarly, the election in ward-9 of Budhi Ganga Municipality was postponed.

The counting of votes in other wards was stopped after the election of Budhinanda Mununicipality-9 was postponed. The counting of votes in other wards resumed following the re-election on May 17.

“Nepali Congress (NC) won in Himali, Swamikartik and Triveni while CPN (UML) won in Budhinanda, Badimalika, Gomul, Chhededaha, and Jagannath,” said Chief Awasthi.