Helicopter Permit Issue: Balendra Shah Returns to Kathmandu Without Reaching Jhapa

Kathmandu — After casting his vote in Kathmandu on Thursday, senior leader of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and candidate for Jhapa-5, Balendra Shah, boarded a helicopter to head to his constituency. However, due to not obtaining permission from the Election Commission, he was unable to land in Jhapa and the helicopter has returned to Kathmandu.

The helicopter with call sign 9N-AOB of Heli Everest, which took off from Kathmandu at around 9:11 AM on Thursday, was unable to land at its intended destination of Jhapa due to the lack of permission and returned to Kathmandu.

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari stated that the RSP had not taken prior permission for the use of the helicopter, which is why the landing was not permitted. “His party had not sought permission from us for the use of the helicopter,” he said.

According to the Election Commission’s rules, every political party is allowed to use one helicopter during the election period. However, for this, the concerned party must obtain prior permission from the Election Commission.

Shah’s secretariat stated that after being informed about the requirement for permission, the helicopter was turned back without landing in Jhapa. The secretariat mentioned that they are preparing to make alternative arrangements for Shah to travel to Jhapa after completing the permission process.

This incident has sparked renewed debate about the implementation of Election Commission rules and the necessity for political parties to comply with them. Balendra Shah is a senior leader of the RSP and a candidate for Jhapa-5.