Voting for the third phase of local elections in eight districts of province 2 has begun from 7 am Monday.

People in the province are voting to pick their representatives in 136 local units of the eight districts.

Large number of people have queued at their voting stations to cast their votes.

The EC expects good participation of voters in the third phase of local level elections, with the agitating Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal getting on board the elections.

In the first phase of local polls, voter turnout was 74 percent, which increased to 76 percent in the second phase, according to the EC. The RJP-N, formed after the merger of six Madhes-based parties, had boycotted the first and second rounds of polls.

The government had announced on February 20 its plan to hold the local polls in a single phase on May 14. But the election has stretched over three rounds, largely due to the protests of some Madhes-based parties.

The polls were held in provinces 3, 4 and 6 on May 14 and in provinces 1, 5 and 7 on June 28, electing people’s representatives to the local councils for the first time in 20 years.

In order to ensure maximum participation, the EC has allowed voters to cast the ballot by showing the voter identity card issued for the 2013 Constituency Assembly elections, citizenship certificate, passport, driving licence, land ownership certificate or any other ID issued by a government agency, provided that their names are on the voter roll.

The EC has appealed to the people to participate in the elections without fear.

People eager to vote in Bara

Voters queued up since early morning in various polling centers of Bara district to vote in the third phase of local elections on Monday.

Last night rainfall has caused few problems but despite some polling center logged by rainwater, people are eagerly waiting for their turn to vote in the election.

(All photos by Laxmi Sah)