Dhangadhi/bajhang, Feb. 3 -- Accustomed to incidents of booth capture and voter manipulation, people in Bajura and Bajhang doubt the situation will be different this time. In past elections, incidents of rigging, booth capture, clashes between groups and even murders have left deep scars among people in these districts.

Bir Bahadur Katuwal, a local resident and former campus chief of Badimalika Campus, recalls that parties with numerical strength often relied on muscle power rather than persuasion.

"When I reached the polling station in the 2022 election, someone else had already cast my vote," said Katuwal, who currently teaches at the same campus.

"In Bajura, there is a tendency to cast proxy ballots, vote on behalf of persons with d...