JANAKPUR: Preparations have been completed to begin vote counting in Dhanusha Constituency No. 1, with the process set to start after receiving instructions from the Election Commission (EC).

A letter sent by Rishi Ram Bhusal, undersecretary at the commission, states that ballots bearing a swastika stamp on the bell election symbol of Rashtriya Swatantra Party candidate Kishori Sah Kamal must be counted and recorded separately during the tally.

The directive further instructs officials to count the remaining ballots according to established rules and publish the results accordingly, while ensuring necessary security arrangements before beginning the process.

The commission had earlier annulled Kamal’s candidacy after his name appeared on a blacklist. However, as the party’s election symbol remained printed on ballot papers, confusion arose, prompting the constituency election office to seek clarification from the commission.