Kathmandu— Nepal has sealed all major border crossings with India for 72 hours starting Saturday, as a security precaution ahead of the second phase of Bihar assembly elections scheduled for November 11.
The closure affects multiple districts, including Sarlahi, Mahottari, and Rautahat, where cross-border movement has been suspended until Tuesday evening. Officials confirmed that Mahottari district alone has sealed 11 of its entry points with India.
“The election in Bihar is scheduled for November 11. From a security standpoint, we have halted movement across the border. All crossings in Mahottari district are closed from November 8 to November 11,” said Sanjay Kumar Pokhrel, Assistant Chief District Officer of Mahottari. He added that the restrictions began at 6 PM on Saturday and will remain in place until 6 PM on Tuesday.
District administrations along the Nepal-India border have issued alerts, announcing that all non-essential cross-border movement will remain suspended. Only emergency travel will be permitted during the closure.
The practice of sealing the Indo-Nepal border during elections has become a standard security measure to prevent illegal activities and ensure peaceful polling. Security agencies from both countries are coordinating closely to maintain order throughout the period.
The second phase of Bihar elections will see polling across 122 constituencies in 20 districts, with 1,302 candidates contesting, including 136 women. Around 3.70 crore voters are eligible to vote across 45,399 polling centres. Results are expected on Friday.
In the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, the BJP won 42 out of these 122 seats, followed by RJD with 33, JDU with 20, Congress with 11, and the Left parties with 5.
