As the House of Representatives elections approach, after calls were raised for a 'public debate' with top leaders of major parties sitting on the same platform, former Prime Minister and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli wrote on social media on Sunday morning, 'We are ready for a public debate, all parties, new and old, are now engaged in the elections, in this competition between the parties that burn the country and those that build the country, our party is in the fray on the side of building the country.'

Senior RSP leader and former mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balendra Shah reacted to Oli's status within an hour and a half and refused to participate in the debate and expressed his anger, "It is right that you have accepted yourself as the one who will burn the country, but the houses of the leaders are somewhere, you knew it, you yourself burned them on the 24th to hide the terrorism that killed children on the 23rd."

UML Chairman Oli and senior RSP leader Shah are facing off in Jhapa-5 in the House of Representatives elections. Oli lost power in the last week of Bhadra due to the Gen-G movement. The House of Representatives was dissolved soon after the new non-party government was formed and elections were scheduled for 21 Falgun. Shah has resigned from the post of mayor and entered the competition with Oli in this election.

There was also a clash between UML and RSP cadres during the nomination registration in Damak, Jhapa on 6th Magh. As the security forces immediately took control of the situation, no untoward incident was reported. But as the election approaches, the risk of such clashes and clashes between leaders and activists remains. The government's integrated election security action plan for election security has also listed it as one of the main security challenges. 

The action plan has pointed out that snowfall and cold in the Himalayan region and the difficulty in mobilizing mechanisms in the situation created by it, open borders, weapons looted from security agencies on 24 Bhadra, and escaped prisoners are also major security challenges for the upcoming election. The action plan approved by the security committee has seen everything from misuse of social media to activities of criminal 

individuals and groups as challenges for election security. Anand Kafle, spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, informed that the security action plan was formulated after analyzing the security challenges.

‘Security management has been tightened by including the provocative statements, accusations and counter-accusations from various parties in the election, adverse weather in the Himalayan region and the risks posed by the open border to the south as challenges,’ he said, ‘All parties, including the Election Commission, government, and political parties, are focused on the election, an election-like atmosphere has been created, now it should be made meaningful by voting peacefully on 21 Falgun.’ 

On Monday alone, the Cyber ​​Bureau of the Nepal Police warned Bhadra Prasad (Swagat) Nepal, the RPP candidate from Jhapa-2. The bureau had summoned him for making controversial statements. Medical practitioner Durga Prasai was arrested in Pokhara on 5th Magh after making statements that defamed the Election Commission. He was also warned by the police and released to appear when summoned. The cyber cell of the police has been activated to prevent a repeat of activities that attract cyber law in the wake of the election. 

Prisoners/detainees who escaped from various prisons/detention centers and police custody on Bhadra 24 have been considered 'highly risky' from a security perspective. According to the Police Headquarters, 14,555 prisoners and detainees escaped from prisons, correctional facilities and detention centers on Bhadra 24. Of these, only 10,140 have been arrested/returned, while 4,415 are absconding. 

According to the Police Headquarters, more than 600 of the absconding prisoners/detainees are from India and third countries. The police have stated that the details of the escaped prisoners are being listed with the relevant embassies, diplomatic missions and Interpol in Nepal according to their nationality and are being searched. 

During the protest on Bhadra 24, 1,342 weapons and about 100,000 rounds of ammunition were looted by security personnel from the fields, barracks and barracks. Of these, 745 weapons have been recovered. Some weapons are said to have been burnt. Other deadly weapons have not yet been recovered. Therefore, the looted weapons are seen as a security challenge for the elections. 

Nepal had requested India to take control of the looted weapons and escaped prisoners/thunuwa if they had crossed the border by land route. In a meeting of the border security chiefs of the two countries held in Delhi, India on 26 Kartik, Nepal's Armed Police Inspector General Raju Aryal had made such a request to the Director General of the Indian Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Sanjay Singh. He said that the looted weapons and escaped prisoners are suspected to have entered India. 

The unhealthy competition between political parties is seen as a security challenge. The political parties' understanding and explanation of the incidents of 23 and 24 Bhadra, the formation of a non-party government and the dissolution of the House of Representatives are different. There is a security analysis that there is a possibility that various parties and groups will boycott or obstruct the elections. It has been assessed that there is a risk of threats or violence against voters, candidates and election workers from them. 

Holi festival falls three days before the voting, i.e. on 18 Falgun in the hilly districts and the next day in the Terai-Madhesh. The disorderly activities that may occur under the cover of Holi have also been seen as a security challenge. Similarly, the use of disorderly groups and individuals for vested interests, the use of illegal weapons and explosives and criminal activities, and anarchic activities under the cover of ethnic, geographical and social communities have been analyzed as challenges. 

Since the risk arises due to the open border, the security action plan has given priority to border security management and prevention and control of cross-border crime. The Nepal-India border is about 1,880 km long. Even if the border is closed during the election, the presence of the security mechanism is thin, so the risk that anti-election parties and criminal groups can take advantage has been pointed out. There is a border of about 1,414 km in length towards China. Since permission is not allowed to travel there, the risk of cross-border crime is low. 

Illegal and forced fundraising and threats have been considered a challenge in the elections. The need for close monitoring has been pointed out as there is a risk of threatening and coercing businessmen to cooperate under the guise of elections. The action plan also mentions the need to control false and misleading information and provocative and hateful expressions. 

150,000 affected by cold

More than 150,000 people living in the Himalayan region are affected by cold. The Ministry of Home Affairs has analyzed that 162,104 households living in the Himalayan regions of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali and the Far West may be affected by extreme cold.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that people will not be able to leave their homes in some villages if there is snowfall. There is uncertainty about what will happen to the voting in such a situation. A few days ago, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal had said in a press conference held at the Ministry of Home Affairs that it has not been assessed that the voting will be affected due to the weather. Adverse weather has also been mentioned as a security challenge. 

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, it has been extremely cold in the upper reaches of Sandakpur and Maijogmai rural municipalities in Ilam since Poush. It has been extremely cold in the upper reaches of Faktanglung and Mikwakhola rural municipalities in Taplejung, Falelung and Yangwarak rural municipalities in Panchthar until Chait.

Bhotkhola in Sankhuwasabha, Khumbupasang in Solukhumbu, Umakunda and Doramba Sailung in Ramechhap, Gosainkunda in Rasuwa, Kalinchowk, Bhimeshwor, Bigu and Gaurishankar in Dolakha have been extremely cold until Chait. Chumanubri and Dharche in Gorkha, Narpabhumi, Naso, Chame, Manang Ngisyang have been extremely cold since Kartik. Baragung, Gharpajhong, Thasang, Lomanthang, and Lo-Ghekar in Mustang have been extremely cold until Baisakh.

It will be cold in Namkha Simkot, Kharpunath, Sarkegard, Tajakot, Chankheli, Adanchuli municipalities of Humla until Chaitra, Mugum Rural Municipality of Mugu, Charkatangsong, Dolpa Buddha, She-Phoksundo of Dolpa until Chaitra. It is cold in Mahabu and Gurans of Dailekh, Nalgad, Barekot, Kushe, Junichande of Jajarkot and most of the municipalities of Jumla.