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Ballot papers have been transported to the Himalayan districts—Mustang and Manang—for the November 20 elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly on Thursday. The Election Commission sent the ballot papers and voters’ ID card among other election materials in a Nepal Army chopper. The ballot papers and election materials were sent under the security of Nepal Army. Election Commission officials Mukunda Pokharel and Baburam Koirala had reached Manang and Mustang to deliver election materials like ballot papers and voter ID cards among others from Kathmandu. In Mustang, they handed over the ballot papers, voter ID cards and other election materials to Chief Election Officer of Mustang Ishwor Parajuli and Chief at the District Election Office, Mustang Madan Aryal. In Manang, they handed over the election materials to District Election Officer Pushpa Raj Sharma and the team of Chief Election Officer’s office.      

The Election Commission has intensified work to print ballot papers and transport election materials for the elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly slated for November 20. The poll body said that the printing of ballot papers has been going on in full swing. The EC is busy in sending ballot papers and election materials to the districts. The Commission said that the first phase of transportation of election materials has already been completed. The EC, however, is yet to print ballot papers for Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Bara, Dhanusha, Sarlahi and Rautahat. Around 8.4 million ballot papers are required in these districts.

As many as 53 people drowned in rivers and other water bodies in various parts of Bihar during the four-day Chhath festivities, said a disaster management official here on Tuesday, Business Standard reported. Expressing grief, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of the kin of each deceased, the official said. The CM directed all district magistrates to ensure expeditious payment to the victims' families. According to the official, five people drowned in Purnea district on October 30, while three deaths each were reported from Patna, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Saharsa, according to Business Standard. One person each died in Gaya, Begusarai, Katihar, Buxar, Kaimur, Sitamarhi and Banka among other districts. "At least 18 people died in the state on October 31, the last day of the festival. The state disaster management is trying to establish the identity of all deceased at the earliest," added the official.

At least 14 people – including three children – were shot in a drive-by shooting Monday night at a busy corner in Chicago where people had gathered for a vigil, and investigators are trying to find the shooters, police said, CNN reported. Two people traveling in a dark SUV opened fire on Halloween night at people on the corner of California Avenue and Polk Street around 9:30 p.m. before the vehicle was driven away, police said. A 15th person – a woman – suffered scrapes when a vehicle struck her as she tried to flee from the site, police said. A 3-year-old boy, an 11-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy were among those shot, police said. Gunshot victims were being treated at hospitals. Their conditions were described as critical for two, serious for five, good for six, and unknown for one, police said Tuesday morning. The vigil was unrelated to the shooting, police said in a news release without giving further details on a motive. People not involved in the vigil may have been at the corner at the time, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said in a news conference, according to CNN. “There may have also been others gathered for other various reasons,” he said. “It’s a very, you know, common corner where people congregate and have different meetings and gatherings.” More than 500 mass shootings have happened in the United States so far this year, according to the non-profit Gun Violence Archive. The count was at 574 as of Tuesday, an average of more than 1.8 mass shootings every day, says the group, which like CNN defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter. Also Monday night, a teenager was killed and six others were injured in a shooting at a Halloween party in a home in Kansas City, Kansas, police said. As many as 100 teenagers were at the home when the gunfire erupted, CNN reported.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 7. 32 points to close at 1,938.30 points on Wednesday. Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 0. 79 points to close at 382. 94 points. A total of 4,346,708 unit shares of 227 companies were traded for Rs 1. 46 billion. In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green except for Banking, Trading and Non Life Insurance. Meanwhile, Corporate Development Bank Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 8. 74 percent. Sabaiko Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top loser as its price fell by 3.96 percent. At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 78 trillion.

Nepali Congress spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the bottom line of the Nepali Congress is that Sher Bahadur Deuba will become prime minister after the elections. Speaking at a program organized in Butwal on Wednesday, he said that the Nepali Congress will win majority seats and will put forward the name of Sher Bahadur Deuba as the prime minister after the elections. Mahat, who is also the coordinator of the Election Publicity Committee of the Nepali Congress, claimed that the Nepali Congress would definitely get more seats than other parties as the party occupies 91 seats out of 165. Meanwhile, he urged the public to make the alliance victorious in the upcoming elections. Leader Mahat claimed that the work to control the Covid-19 pandemic was started after the government was formed under the leadership of Nepali Congress.  

The Election Commission said that political parties and candidates can organize assemblies starting tomorrow. Organizing a press conference in the Capital on Wednesday, the Election Commission said that the political parties and candidates will be allowed to conduct election campaigns from November 3 to 17. Chief Election Commission Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya said that the next phase of the election campaign will start from tomorrow. “The Election Commission has been closely monitoring the activities of the political parties. The details of expenses incurred while organizing general assemblies and corner assemblies should be submitted to the commission,” he said. Thapaliya said that those holding public posts can take part in the election campaigns by taking permission from the poll body. But, they cannot use government resources.

Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand has said that no one has rights to foil the elections. Speaking at a program organized in Butwal on Wednesday, he said that no one has rights to thwart elections even though all the citizens and parties have rights to express their dissatisfaction. Minister Khand said that the government has been taking initiatives to bring the parties, who are out of the mainstream politics, into the mainstream politics. He was of the opinion that the upcoming elections will be held in a peaceful environment with the support from all sides. Saying that the government’s first priority is to protect the lives of people, the government is always committed to the safety of citizens and protection of property.