KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has instructed Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate from Lalitpur-3 Dr. Toshima Karki not to carry the election symbol for campaigning.
According to Dr. Karki, the Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee of EC instructed her over the phone not to use her election symbol while campaigning for votes.
“I received a call from the code of conduct monitoring committee of the EC. In a message sent over the phone, I was asked not to ring the bells for campaigning claiming it caused noise pollution,” she said
Karki is a candidate for Member of the House of Representatives from Lalitpur Constituency No. 3. The election symbol of the Rastriya Swatantra Party was is the bell.
The Chapter 4 of the Election Code of Conduct 2079, 13 mentions the conduct to be followed during processions, public meetings or gatherings. According to this, candidates cannot carry their election symbols for campaigning.
The commission had earlier decided to reject Karki’s candidature; but the Supreme Court upheld it.
Karki is also a member of Nepal Medical Council. Earlier, EC said that she was ineligible to be a candidate as she was in the ‘post of profit’.
Karki approached the Supreme Court against the EC decision. Her candidacy was upheld through an interim order. EC has also filed a vacancy petition against the order of the Supreme Court.
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