Pokhara, 28 January | As Nepal prepares for the upcoming House of Representatives election on March 5 (Phagun 21), the Thudam polling center in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality, Sankhuwasabha, has been identified as having the lowest number of voters in the district. According to the District Election Office, only 63 voters are registered at the Dudhpokhari Basic School polling station, consisting of 28 females and 35 males. Located in a geographically isolated Himalayan region, Thudam remains disconnected from modern transport and communication networks. The residents, primarily from the Bhote, Sherpa, and Tamang communities, continue to rely heavily on the neighboring Tibet Autonomous Region of China for essential supplies due to the lack of infrastructure and state focus in this northern frontier.
Sankhuwasabha district, which constitutes a single electoral constituency, has a total of 119,630 registered voters. Within the Bhotkhola Rural Municipality, there are 11 polling stations serving 5,627 voters. The Thudam polling station has historically seen low turnout, with only 20 votes cast during the 2022 general elections. Despite being home to Kimathanka, Nepal’s final northern border point with Tibet, the region struggles with severe isolation. As election preparations intensify across the nation, the minimal voter count at the Thudam center highlights the unique challenges of conducting democratic exercises in the country’s most rugged and marginalized high-altitude terrains.
