KATHMANDU, Feb 3: The government has announced that the Nepali Army will be deployed across the country starting tomorrow (Wednesday) to ensure security for the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5. This marks the first time the army will be mobilized a full month ahead of the polls.
According to the Army Public Relations Directorate, the deployment will follow the procedures outlined in the Integrated Election Security Plan, 2082 BS, and will cover sensitive areas, polling stations, public buildings, prisons, and other locations currently guarded by the Armed Police Force. In addition, the Armed Police will also be mobilized to support election security.
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A total of 79,727 Nepali Army personnel will take part in the deployment, conducting patrols and joint operations where needed. This step comes after political parties last November insisted on guaranteed security as a precondition for participating in the elections.
Responding to these concerns, the Election Commission urged the government to promptly deploy all four security agencies, including the army, to create a safe and secure election environment. Following the recommendation of the EC’s high-level security committee, President Ramchandra Paudel approved the army deployment on November 27.
Preparations for this massive security operation have been underway for months. On September 25, the Central Security Committee formed a task force under the coordination of the Home Ministry’s Joint Secretary to draft the Integrated Election Security Plan. The task force submitted its report on November 16 to the Central Security Committee, chaired by Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, which was subsequently approved.
For the upcoming elections, the government plans to deploy a total of 337,911 security personnel from all four security agencies and the election police. This includes the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, election police under both police forces, and intelligence personnel—all trained and ready to ensure a smooth and secure election process.
