MUSTANG: Several polling stations set up for the March 5 House of Representatives (HoR) elections in Mustang are located more than 100 kilometers from the district headquarters in Jomsom.
According to the District Election Office, polling stations in Lomanthang and Loghekar Damodarkund Rural Municipalities of Upper Mustang, near the Nepal-China border in North Korala, are particularly remote. Lomanthang has six polling stations serving 2,011 voters. District Election Officer Lokendra Gyawali stated that it takes approximately 6-7 hours to reach these stations from Jomsom by vehicle.
He also noted that the Lomanthang-2 Samjung polling station has been merged with the Divya Secondary School polling station in Choser ward to improve accessibility. Polling stations located along branch roads or unconnected to the main Korala road remain difficult to reach.
Similarly, polling stations in Loghekar Damodarkund Rural Municipality, such as Ghilling, Ghami, and Charang, are around 100 km from Jomsom. While some stations near the national highway are easier to access, others remain far and require several hours of travel. The municipality has 1,542 voters across five wards. Transporting ballot boxes from these stations back to Jomsom is expected to continue until midnight.
Polling stations in Waragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality are relatively closer, about 50 km from Jomsom, serving 2,885 voters. In total, 39 polling stations across five local levels have been established in Mustang for the March 5 elections, covering 11,328 registered voters.
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