KATHMANDU: Senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Balen Shah, drew attention on the day of the House of Representatives election after the helicopter he boarded to travel to Jhapa returned to Kathmandu mid-flight.
After casting his vote in Kathmandu on Thursday morning, Shah had flown toward Jhapa using a helicopter operated by Heli Everest. However, the helicopter turned back to Tribhuvan International Airport after reaching about 52 nautical miles from Kathmandu without landing in Jhapa.
Shah had received permission on Wednesday to travel to Jhapa by helicopter from Kathmandu. According to his team, the return was prompted by security concerns raised while en route.
Shah’s aide Kumar Ben told media that they decided to turn back after being advised not to land due to security issues.
“We had taken permission earlier and were on our way. But we were requested not to land because of security concerns that could create problems for both sides, so we returned based on that request,” Ben said.
However, officials in Jhapa disputed the claim of a security threat. Assistant Chief District Officer Tej Prakash Prasai said authorities were prepared to receive the helicopter and had not issued any instruction preventing it from landing.
“We heard rumors that the helicopter was turned back, but that is not correct. It never landed here. We were preparing for the landing,” Prasai said, adding that there was no security threat.
He noted that extensive security arrangements had already been put in place across the district for the election.
Similarly, Santosh Kumar Basnet, spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal at Kathmandu airport, said the helicopter did not return due to any technical problem.
According to him, the helicopter was diverted at the request of the party that had chartered it, citing what aviation officials described as an operational requirement.
Shah is contesting from Jhapa-5, a constituency that has drawn significant attention due to the presence of KP Sharma Oli, chair of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist).
The constituency has become one of the most closely watched races of the election, with candidates adopting various campaign strategies to secure victory. Oli, in particular, had concentrated his campaign in Jhapa-5 instead of traveling to other parts of the country.
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