By Rup Narayan Dhakal : Pokhara—Nepali voters are taking part in parliamentary and provincial assembly polls in Nepal today. This is the second phase of polls happening in 45 districts. The first phase of the polls were held on November 26 in 32 hilly districts.
As per the provision, the polls began at 7 am this morning and will be continued till 5 pm. Election Commission Nepal has urged all the voters to take part in election without any fear. The voting is undergoing in 128 constituencies of federal assembly and 256 constituencies for provincial assembly. There are a total of 15,344 polling centers in 7,752 polling stations. Likewise, 1,663 candidates from various political parties are contesting for federal assembly while 2,819 for provincial assembly under the first past the post system election. According to EC, a total of 12,235,993 voters are eligible to take part in these polls.
Hundreds of voters are queuing up to take part in the polling centers while some are casting their votes. 103-year-old Damo Rani Tamang from Kavre district has already cast her votes from Swasthani Secondary School polling center. Bibeksheel Sajha party candidate Rabindra Mishra also cast his votes from Lalitpur Bhaise Pati this morning. Former PM and CPN-MC chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has cast his vote from constituency number 3 of Chitwan district this morning. PM Sher Bahadur Deuba will cast his votes from Dadeldhura.
EC has already directed election officers to give priority to disabled voters, pregnant women, elderly people and ill persons. Ministry of home affairs would also provide security even from helicopter flights. Nepal police and temporary cops would provide security in the inner ring of polling centers while Armed Police Force in second ring and Nepal Army in outer ring.
Nepali are taking part in the polls for the first time in federal and provincial elections after making their new constitution. Earlier, they had cast their votes to choose their local level representatives under this constitution. Peace, stability, development and prosperity are some of the agendas of polls in Nepal. Ruling Nepali Congress led democratic alliance and the left alliance forged by CPN-UML and CPN-MC are the key rivals in these polls.
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