EC expects 75% voter turnout
DANG, Dec 7: Altogether 2,584,910 voters from 10 districts of Province 5 will be taking part in the much-awaited parliamentary and provincial elections on Thursday. There are 12 districts in this province but Rukum and Rolpa have already taken part in the first phase of elections.
People living in Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Pyuthan, Kapilbastu, Rupandehi, Nawalparasi (west), Gulmi, Palpa and Arghakhanchi will be exercising their voting rights in Thursday's elections.
Bagmati Province has 3.47 million voters
Samir Thapa, a computer engineer with the Election Commission (EC), informed that Rupandehi has the highest number of eligible voters among all other districts in Province 5.
The EC is expecting at least 75% voter turnout in Province 5, informed Surya Prasad Aryal, information officer of EC. "Foreign employment and city-centric business may affect the voting here but there are no other barriers," he said.
Political analysts say that the excitement and enthusiasm seen among the voters during the local elections is lacking for the upcoming elections. "Voters actively participated in the local elections because it was about choosing local representatives but these elections are more political. So, not all voters are interested in it," said information officer Aryal. But still, more than half of the voters are expected to participate in the elections.
