KATHMANDU: Senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Balen Shah, faced opposition after planning to tour all polling centers in Jhapa Constituency-5 by helicopter following his vote in Kathmandu.
The plan triggered objections from Hikmat Karki, Chief Minister of Koshi Province, who raised concerns with Prime Minister Sushila Karki, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, and Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari.
Chief Minister Karki criticized the move, saying it could influence voters, prompting the Election Commission to decide against allowing other candidates to use helicopters in a similar manner.
Following the protests, the helicopter carrying Shah did not land in Jhapa and returned to Kathmandu, according to Tribhuvan Airport spokesperson Santusht Kumar Basnet.
The Election Commission confirmed that it intervened before Shah could implement his plan. Acting Chief Election Commissioner Bhandari stated that the commission received complaints about the helicopter’s use and is currently deliberating appropriate action. “We have received grievances, and since the government has also drawn attention to this, we are taking a proper decision,” he said.
Shah had cast his vote at the Annapurna English School polling center in Sinamangal, Kathmandu-2, before planning to travel to Jhapa-5 via a Heli Everest helicopter. Other candidates from the constituency, including KP Sharma Oli of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), Ranjit Tamang of the CPN, and Mandhara Chimoriya of the Nepali Congress, also raised concerns that the helicopter use could influence voters.
Shah is contesting from Jhapa-5 in the ongoing House of Representatives election.
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