Over 200,000 new voters in Bagmati Province

By Rammani Dahal,Makwanpur, dec.1: More than 200,000 people have registered for the voter list in Bagmati Province, with a majority choosing to enrol through the national identity card system rather than visiting election offices for biometric registration.

According to the Bagmati Province Election Office in Hetauda, a significantly higher number of eligible citizens used their national ID cards to register within a short period, surpassing those who completed biometric enrolment at district election offices.

As of November 21, a total of 205,167 individuals had registered their names on the voter roll through both registration methods. 

Of the total applicants, 105,782 registered online using their national identity cards. The voter registration drive, which was initially scheduled from September 26 to November 16, was later extended to November 21 due to the growing influx of service seekers. 

During the extended period, citizens could either enroll their names in the voter list online using their national IDs or visit district election offices to provide their biometric details.

Provincial Election Officer Hari Prasad Dhakal said that 99,385 individuals completed biometric registration in person. Among them, 56,364 are men, 43,006 are women, and 15 have been listed as others.

Kathmandu district recorded the highest number of new registrations, adding 62,452 voters to the list. 

It was followed by Lalitpur with 26,811 registrations, Chitwan with 22,263, and Bhaktapur with 20,177. 

Kathmandu district led in both biometric and national ID–based registration, according to provincial records.

Other districts also saw notable participation. Makwanpur registered 14,603 new voters, while Kavrepalanchok recorded 14,329 and Sindhuli 7,039. 

In the eastern part of the province, 6,102 individuals registered in Ramechhap, 6,687 in Dolakha and 6,939 in Sindhupalchok. In Dhading, 8,430 new voters were registered, followed closely by Nuwakot with 8,401. 

Rasuwa saw the lowest number of registrations, with only 934 people adding their names to the voter list.

As of September 26, Bagmati Province had a total of 3,471,792 registered voters. The Election Commission has announced that the voter list will again be updated from December 6 to 30, and the preliminary voter roll will be published on December 6.