Nepal to seek logistic support from India for upcoming general election

Kathmandu, Nov 10 (PTI) Nepal’s electoral body on Monday said that it will approach neighbouring countries, mainly India, to seek logistic support for the upcoming general election.  “The Election Commission has sent its demand list to the government to be handed over to the neighbouring countries, India and China, through diplomatic channels,” acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said, talking to PTI.

During a meeting with government officials and the commission staff, the representatives from the two countries have expressed their willingness to extend logistic support for elections scheduled for March 5, 2026.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a meeting between the government and representatives of diplomatic missions and development partners, in which Prime Minister Sushila Kaki had sought their support for the upcoming elections.

India had provided 200 vehicles as logistic support to the Nepalese government during the general election in 2022, which were utilised by the Election Commission and the various security agencies.

However, during the September Gen Z movement, nearly 600 government vehicles were either vandalised or burnt, hence, more vehicles are needed this time. It has been estimated that at least 400 vehicles are required to conduct the elections.

The Election Commission is making all the necessary preparations for the Parliamentary elections, said acting chief of EC, Bhandari. The commission is capable of conducting the election as per schedule, he added.  “We have already completed work related to election management. Now we are actively working towards the implementation of the plan we have made,” Bhandari told PTI.

The government is planning to recruit around 120,000 temporary security personnel for the election purpose as there is a shortage of security personnel at the moment, he pointed out.

During the last Parliamentary election in 2022, there were 18.17 million eligible voters in Nepal. In the upcoming election, around 200,000 new voters are likely to be registered. PTI SBP RD RD RD