Voters head home, mostly in vehicles paid by candidates

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 20: Sangam, a voter from one of the constituencies in Morang district, was informed about a bus scheduled to leave for his hometown from Kathmandu more than a week ago. The bus was managed by associates of a candidate contesting the election from a major party.

“This is my first time as a voter. I received a call on my phone many days ago from a villager regarding the information of the bus that would leave on November 19. I would have gone anyhow to cast my first vote. However, I decided to save my money,” said Sangam while waiting for his bus at Jadibuti Saturday morning. 

According to Sangam, the bus would not charge him any fare. Similarly, he should also not pay for food during the travel.

While Sangam was approached by a villager, many individuals have also posted publicly on social media regarding the buses which would transport voters to their respective villages for free.

A Facebook post by an individual from Chautara Sangachowkgadi Municipality in Sindhupalchowk district on Friday shows that two buses have been arranged for voters of Ward No. 11 of the municipality from Kathmandu on Saturday.

The post further provides contact number of different individuals and the registration number of the buses.

Another Facebook post by an individual from Lagarchey, Sindhupalchowk, also states that a bus has been arranged from Kathmandu for the voters of the area. Contact numbers of three individuals have also been provided for further information.

Several similar posts are visible across the social media.

“I was transported to my village for free during local elections in May as well. They also paid for my return to Kathmandu. The same is happening for the general and provincial elections as well. I wouldn’t have gone if there was no free return ticket,” said Dotel, a voter from Mandandeupur in Kavrepalanchowk, who wished to be identified only with his surname.

Dotel, who wished to be identified only by his last name, said that the voters were assisted in returning for free even if the candidate lost.

While around 50,000 individuals left the Kathmandu Valley daily on Wednesday and Thursday, the number increased on Friday and Saturday.  According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, more than four times that number of people left the valley daily in the past two days. 

According to transport operators in New Bus Park, Kathmandu, the buses are mostly reserved by candidates throughout the country for free transportation of voters.

“The candidates also preferred quality buses for proper travel of voters. Buses in good condition were booked on first-come-first-serve basis as well. There are only few people who are buying tickets to go home for elections,” said an employee at the bus park’s ticket counter on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, villagers have also started to return to their hometowns from district headquarters throughout the country.

According to our Humla correspondent, Simkot, district headquarters of Humla, seems deserted recently as many temporary residents have left for their villages for elections.

Simkot Rural Municipality deputy chairperson Shushila Rokaya informed that the number of individuals in the headquarters had started to decline in past three days. 

“As the election is on Sunday, voters from different parts of the district have left for their villages by Saturday. They would return after casting the votes. Some would also stay until the result arrived,” said Rokaya.

According to our Kalikot correspondent, some voters were also reserving vehicles by themselves to reach their villages for voting.

“There are few villagers who live nearby. We have decided to reserve a vehicle to return to the village for casting votes because it is an important responsibility of the citizens,” said Jaya Neupane, a resident of Ward No. 8 of Raskot Municipality.

People who have been living temporarily in Manma Bazaar, Jite, Lalighat and Santighat Bazaar for different purpose have been returning to their villages for voting.

According to Bharat Jung Shahi, chairman of Ward No. 5 of Kharpunath Rural Municipality in Humla, the number of individuals in the village has increased of late.

“Since the villagers have returned from different parts of the country for the election, there has been a crowd in the village recently. It feels like the festival of Dashain,” said Shahi.