DOLPA: As many as 4,366 voters from Upper Dolpa are likely to be unable to cast their ballots in the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) election scheduled for March 5.

Dolpa, a mountainous and remote district of Karnali Province, is the largest district in Nepal by area, covering 7,899 square kilometers. Residents of Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality, Chharka Tangsong Rural Municipality and Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality areas collectively known as Upper Dolpa migrate seasonally for about six months starting in mid-November. During winter, heavy snowfall and extreme cold force locals to move to Lower Dolpa and nearby Terai regions.

At present, no voters are living in these highland settlements, and all access routes have remained closed due to snowfall from October to December. As a result, it is unlikely that voters will be able to return to their villages in time for the election.

Chair of Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality, Dhawa Samduk Gurung said that in such circumstances, the state should make alternative arrangements to ensure voting rights for the people of Upper Dolpa. He emphasized that they are citizens of Nepal and should not be deprived of their right to vote.

According to the District Election Office, there are 24,115 eligible voters across eight local levels in Dolpa district for the March 5 HoR election. Tripurasundari Rural Municipality has the highest number of voters at 6,805, while Chharka Tangsong Rural Municipality has the lowest, with 983 voters.