Oli Couple to Return to Jhapa Tomorrow After Casting Their Votes

Kathmandu / CPN-UML Chairman and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has had to return to the capital midway, even as he was preparing to thank the voters of his birthplace, Jhapa. Oli, who is a candidate from Jhapa Constituency No. 5, arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport today along with his wife, Radhika Shakya.

However, this visit is not for election campaigning. The Oli couple is compelled to cast their votes tomorrow morning at their respective places of voter registration. As the UML Chairman’s name is registered in Balkot, Bhaktapur, and his wife Radhika Shakya’s name is in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, they had to come to the capital to vote, despite Oli’s candidacy being in Jhapa-5.

The Oli couple arrived at the airport from Bhadrapur on a Yeti Airlines flight at 3:45 PM today. They are scheduled to cast their votes tomorrow morning at polling centers in Balkot and Kathmandu. After voting, it is understood that he will return to Jhapa, where he is likely to directly observe the vote counting scheduled for Tuesday.

Meanwhile, this incident has become a subject of sharp satire in political circles. On one hand, Oli is charting his path to parliament from Jhapa-5, while on the other, his ‘home’ in Balkot and his wife’s voter ID in Kathmandu grant him the status of a ‘local voter’ there. This has highlighted the disparity between the ‘voter identity’ and the ‘constituency of candidacy’ of big leaders.