SALYAN: A vehicle involved in the election campaign of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has been taken under police control in Salyan after liquor and food items were found loaded inside it.
The Bolero jeep (Karnali Province 01–018 Cha 0429) was intercepted on Monday morning at Sallibazar in Bangad–Kupinde Municipality while heading toward Khairagarh. According to District Police Office Salyan Information Officer Devraj Bhattarai, the vehicle was stopped at around 8 am.
Police recovered seven cartons of liquor, two cartons of beer, two sacks of rice, and three cartons of cooking oil from the vehicle. The jeep was reportedly being used for party campaign activities and had party flags, banners, and sound equipment installed.
With voting day approaching, locals protested the transportation of liquor and food items in a campaign vehicle, claiming it violated the election code of conduct. A video related to the incident has been circulating widely on social media.
Driver Nanda Rana claimed that the goods were being transported to Khairagarh on behalf of a local trader. The items are said to belong to Kriti Bahadur Rana.
RSP Bangad–Kupinde Municipal Chair Lokendra Oli stated that the presence of such materials in a campaign vehicle was the driver’s mistake. He said the party had no knowledge of the items and that the driver acted on his own discretion, describing it as an unintended error. However, some locals have alleged that the materials were intentionally loaded.
The vehicle along with the seized goods remains under police control, and further investigation into the incident is underway, police said.
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