12, 000 police personnel sent to various districts from Kathmandu for election security

KATHMANDU: At least 12, 000 police personnel have been deployed to various districts from Kathmandu for the elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly slated for November 20.

Central spokesperson at the Nepal Police headquarters DIG Tek Prasad Rai said that additional 11, 961 police personnel from the Nepal Police headquarters and from various units of the Kathmandu Valley have been deputed in the districts outside Kathmandu for the election security.

“They have already headed towards the districts. They will be mobilised for the security of voting centres,” DIG Rai said.

Nepal Police headquarters had started sending police personnel to the districts for the elections to be held in a single phase 12 days ago.

As many as 3, 802 police personnel will be sent to Madhesh Pradesh for more assistance from Kathmandu.

Around 100,000 temporary police personnel have already been deployed for election security.

Nepal Police and temporary police personnel will be mobilised for the security of the voting centres.

National Investigation Department, Armed Police Force and Nepal Army personnel will be mobilized outside the voting centres.

“Nepal Police mobile teams and reserve teams will also be in and around the voting centres,” spokesperson Rai said. Junior police officers will take the command of voting centres.

The Home Ministry has divided the voting centres into three stages—normal, sensitive and highly sensitive areas—based on risk and security challenges.

Out of about 22,000 polling stations across the country, 3,655 are classified as highly sensitive and 4,478 as sensitive. Remaining voting centres are considered as normal.

Police have taken Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal among other communist parties, who had announced to boycott the elections, as the security challenges.

Spokesman Rai said that the criminal activities that may occur through open borders are also taken into consideration.

It has been said that the security of election candidates has also been managed.