According to the District Election Office, out of 130 polling stations in the district, 66 are classified as highly sensitive, 50 as sensitive, and only 14 as normal.
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Due to remote geography, poor road network, and the pressure of political competition, most polling stations in Achham district have been placed on the high-risk list.
According to the District Election Office, out of 130 polling stations in the district, 66 are classified as highly sensitive, 50 as sensitive and only 14 as normal. There are a total of 213 polling stations in the district. There are two constituencies in Achham under the House of Representatives. Constituency No. 1 has 105 polling stations and Constituency No. 2 has 108 polling stations. In terms of the number of voters, both the constituencies are almost equal. There are 82,513 voters in Constituency No. 1 and 82,824 voters in Constituency No. 2.
Chief District Officer Yagya Raj Budha said that the geographical situation of Achham has become the biggest challenge for election security. According to him, due to the hilly terrain, remote settlements and weak transport network, many polling stations have to be reached on foot for hours.
He said that while classifying polling stations, the Election Commission also takes into account the current security situation, past election experience, competition between political parties, local social relations, potential disputes and risk analysis of security agencies. ‘Places where tension, disputes or obstacles were seen in previous elections have been kept under special surveillance this time,’ he said, ‘Many settlements in the district are not yet fully connected to the road network, and communication access is weak in some polling stations, which may cause problems in exchanging information and mobilizing security personnel in an emergency.’
He said that while classifying polling stations in Achham, along with geographical difficulties, social and political realities were also taken into serious consideration.’ According to him, the risk level was determined by keeping in mind the political competition and party polarization seen in previous elections. ‘After an overall assessment of all these aspects, many polling stations have been placed on the very sensitive and sensitive list,’ said Pradya Budha.
According to him, security arrangements will be tightened in very sensitive and sensitive polling stations. The Election Police, Nepal Police and Armed Police will be jointly mobilized in those places, and regular patrols, surveillance and information exchange will be given priority. The administration has stated that arrangements have been made to mobilize additional security personnel if necessary.
The security agencies have claimed that all preparations have been completed to conduct the voting in a peaceful, fair and fear-free environment. The Election Commission has also stated that it has prepared and implemented a security management, staff mobilization and monitoring system based on the sensitivity of the polling station.
17 candidates, including 8 candidates from the party and one independent candidate, are in the fray for the February 21 House of Representatives election from Achham-1 and 2.
