Nepalgunj, Feb 7: As preparations for the election to the House of Representatives continue, 16 incidents of violations of the election code of conduct have been reported in Banke district. According to Election Code of Conduct Implementation and Monitoring Officer Purna Bahadur Khatri, those election candidates involved in such incidents have been warned not to repeat the acts.
The incidents reported last week include the organisation of election-related programmes on school premises in Constituency-1; road gravelling works carried out in various areas of Constituency-2; the use of Indian number plates for election-related activities; distribution of lockets to voters; hate speech against candidates on social media; candidates offering meals in old-age homes; a municipality chairperson engaging in publicity campaigns; a non-government organisation official involved in promotional activities; and the use of party flags on vehicles, among others.
Khatri, who also serves as the Assistant Chief District Officer of Banke, said that in some cases, candidates themselves admitted to breaching the code of conduct. “Once we receive information, we promptly monitor the incident and take the necessary action,” he added.
According to him, incidents of code of conduct violations have declined in recent days. In some cases, the Election Commission has already sought clarifications from those responsible. Some candidates were asked to provide verbal explanations and were instructed not to repeat such actions. Voting under the HoR polls is taking place on March 5.
