KATHMANDU: As Nepal’s general election approaches, a growing number of residents are leaving Kathmandu Valley to exercise their right to vote and choose local representatives.

Major checkpoints and bus terminals across the federal capital are bustling with travelers heading back to their hometowns, highlighting the nation’s rising electoral fervor.

Early morning crowds were particularly noticeable at Gongabu’s New Bus Park and Kalanki.

Passengers traveling to Sudurpashchim, Karnali, Lumbini, and Madhesh provinces account for a significant share of the surge.

Many voters, treating the election as a festival of democracy, are prioritizing their civic duty over daily routines to return home and cast their ballots.

KATHMANDU: The District Administration Office, Parsa, has decided to close all border points along the Nepal-India border line for 72 hours, considering the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections.

Assistant Chief District Officer Binod Kumar Pokhrel stated that all border points connected to India have been closed from Monday midnight to Thursday midnight.

A decision has been made to close the international border points in Parsa, Pokhrel said.

There is a practice that both countries close their borders for 72 hours during their elections, according to Pokhrel. This decision was taken in view of security sensitivities during the elections, it is said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Chief District Officer Pokhrel has urged one and all to make the Holi festival which is being marked today harmonious and election–friendly.

Hooliganisms, forcefully smearing colors on others, destabilizing social harmony by liquor intake and other untoward activities in the public space during the Holi festival are strictly prohibited, he said.

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has directed the Election Code of Conducts Monitoring Officers to effectively implement the code of conduct until the voting centres are closed from today.

The House of Representatives (HoR) election is scheduled to take place on March 5.

The EC has assigned the Assistant Chief District Officer and Chief of the District Treasury Office as the election code of conduct monitoring officers with specific responsibility.

The EC has directed the concerned officials to effectively implement the code of conduct as per the provisions stated in the Election Code of Conducts, 2082 BS.

As per the election code of conduct, the political parties and candidates have been barred from being engaged in election publicity campaigns since last midnight.

With the beginning of the silence period for the March 5 election to the House of Representatives, the election publicity is banned.

The silence period provides time for the voters to decide their voting for the favourable candidates.

The election publicity and silence period are also effective on social networking sites.

KATHMANDU: The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has urged the general public not to store petroleum products unnecessarily stating that import of petroleum products was regular.

NOC Executive Director Chandika Prasad Bhatta urged the public not to store the petroleum products unnecessarily since that could cause risk of accident adding that the supply of the petroleum products was regular and would remain the same also during the election period.

In a notice on Monday he said, “The import of petroleum products is uninterrupted through the pipeline. Import of petroleum products will continue even during the time of the upcoming elections.” The election to the House of Representatives (HoR) is taking place on March 5.

He has also warned of fire-induced disasters if petroleum products were stored in cans, drums and other vessels.

Bhatta has shared that storage of petroleum products was strictly prohibited in view of possible fire-induced disasters.

The NOC has urged consumers to cooperate with the NOC only by purchasing the required quantity of petroleum products.