Nepal should not be hesitant to ask India for March poll logistics: NC leader Minendra Rijal

Kathmandu [Nepal], November 10 (ANI): Nepali Congress leader and former minister Minendra Rijal has urged the interim government in Nepal to actively seek logistical support from India and other friendly nations to ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming March 2026 general election.

Speaking exclusively to ANI, Rijal said that given the current challenges and limited resources, the government must not hesitate to reach out to neighbouring countries, particularly India, for assistance in managing logistics for the polls.

"We're not in the ideal time, so given what we have today, we certainly have to be very careful to assess what we need in terms of managing logistics," Rijal said. "We should not be hesitant to ask for the support of our friends, our neighbours, especially because our border with India is much easier, open, porous. Logistics can be just brought so easily from that side of the border than from the northern side of the border. So getting their help, getting their commitment, even other bilateral donors, multilateral organisations, they can be of great help," he added.

Rijal said that such cooperation should be viewed as an investment in Nepal's democratic stability. "We should be able to convince them this is an investment, an investment to put the government back together, an investment to put the governance back together, an investment to make sure that the new government that will come after the election will have the mandate of the people," he said.

With four months remaining for the election to elect a new House of Representatives, Nepal has already started its voter registration drive. Long queues have been seen outside district election offices as the November 16 registration deadline approaches. Only citizens who turn 18 by March 4, 2026, will be eligible to vote.

The Election Commission resumed voter registration on September 26, following the issuance of an ordinance by President Ramchandra Paudel that cleared legal hurdles. The new ordinance allows anyone who will turn 18 by March 4, 2026, to register as a voter.

As election preparations gather pace, Rijal said the interim Prime Minister, Sushila Karki, must utilise her international goodwill to secure assistance for the polls.

"When the Prime Minister was sworn in, it was quite clear that she had support from a broader spectrum of international actors, from our neighbours to all our bilateral partners," Rijal said. "So I am here to be able to capitalise on that support, get the support to make sure that the logistics are there and naturally, logistics is not the last thing -- somebody has to be there to be able to use that logistics and deliver the results," he added.

The call for logistical support comes at a sensitive time in Nepal's political transition. The two-day Gen Z uprising on September 8 and 9 forced former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign after violent clashes that left at least 72 people dead.

Following three days of deliberation, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was appointed interim Prime Minister and later recommended the dissolution of parliament. President Paudel subsequently dissolved the House of Representatives on September 12 and announced fresh elections for March 5, 2026. (ANI)

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