Kathmandu, June 28
Nepal is holding the second phase of local level elections on Wednesday in three provinces.
Voting is underway in provinces 1, 5 and 7 since 7 am today and will last till 5 pm.
Here are five news stories related to voting that got people’s attention from across the country.
1.
Man dies while queuing in Jhapa
An 81-year-old voter who collapsed as he stood in line to vote in the second round of elections in Damak Municipality-14 of Jhapa district has died.
2.
People show up at voting booths despite rain
Most of hilly districts that are going to polls today have received rainfall since the morning today.
Despite the rainfall, the turnout seems encouraging in most of the places. As of 10:30 am, over 25 per cent votes have been cast in most of the districts, according to the Election Commission.
Election officials have arranged that voters cast their votes inside classrooms of government schools in many places.
Floods in some Terai district have blocked voters from reaching the voting booths.
3.
Sporadic explosions mar poll environment
Minor improvised explosive devises went off at and near voting centres in some districts, creating terror among voters and candidates.
An explosion was reported from Ilam district this morning.
Likewise, two IEDs were recovered from a voting centre in Nepalgunj of Banke district.
The explosions, however, did not cause significant losses as security personnel took the situation under control.
4.
Top leaders cast votes
Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has cast his vote at Asigram voting centre in Ganyapadhura Rural Municipality-1 of Dadeldhura district. His wife and NC leader Arzu Rana Deuba also cast her vote after Deuba.
Likewise, Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar cast her vote at Bal Udaya Secondary School in Rolpa Municipality of Rolpa.
Former Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang cast his vote at Bal Mandi Primary School in Ilam Municipality of Ilam district.
5.
One ward in Solukhumbu boycotts polls
The Ward 6 of Necha Salyan Rural Municipality in Solukhumbu district boycotted the election.
The villagers in Tingla have been protesting the decision to make it a part of Necha Salyan.
No one has decided to contest the polls in ward 6 of Necha Salyan. Neither has any voter taken their identity card for the elections.
