The local administration has heightened security for Friday’s re-election in Ward No 19 of Bharatpur Metropolitan City. Election officials said all the preparations have been over.

“This is an election being held in a different situation. All the polling booths 

are highly sensitive. Security has been tightened to avert any untoward incident,” said Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bhatta. 

For the re-polling, 461 Nepal Police personnel and 300 Armed Police Force personnel have been mobilised. 

The office of the chief election officer on Tuesday announced the re-election schedule, following an instruction of the Election Commission to hold the re-poll at the earliest. The apex court on Sunday upheld the EC’s decision to conduct re-election in the ward.

The EC, on June 3, had decided re-election after the CPN (Maoist Centre) representatives on May 28 allegedly tore up 90 ballot papers during the vote count. 

CPN-UML mayoral candidate Devi Gyawali was ahead of Maoist Centre’s Renu Dahal, the daughter of Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, at the time of the incident.

The election office has set up six polling centres for Friday’s re-election. 

“Poll materials have already been sent to the election centres,” said assistant election officer Gambhir Ghimire. 

Thirty-six election officials have been deployed for the vote, he added. There are a total of 3,797 voters in Bharatpur-19. During the May 14 election, 2,877 voters exercised their franchise.