The border crossing between Ilam and Darjeeling, connecting Nepal and India respectively, has been temporarily closed. Indian authorities have sealed the border from 6:15 pm on Tuesday until 12:00 pm on Friday.
This closure comes in anticipation of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April 26th, particularly in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Several checkpoints including Sandakpur, Kal Pokhari, Tanlu, Tumling, Meghma, Manebhanjyang, Pashupatinagar, Chhabis, and Samalbung in Ilam have been sealed off.
The Lok Sabha elections are being conducted in seven phases from April 19th to June 1st, 2024, across the Indian state of West Bengal.
Simultaneously, in Nepal’s Ilam district, preparations for the by-elections on April 27th are underway. In light of this, the Nepalese government has decided to seal the Nepal-India border area for 72 hours starting from 12:00 pm on Wednesday.
Indradev Yadav, Chief District Officer of Ilam, mentioned that the border closure is part of the election security plan due to the sensitivity of the security situation, as has been the practice in the past. It’s noteworthy that no area of Ilam II shares a border with India.
Police Inspector Bishnu Bahadur Khadka, the Head of Pashupatinagar Area Police Office, stated that ongoing discussions are being held with Indian SSB, Bengal Police, and the Indian Border Security Administration to ensure the security of both election processes.
Increased vigilance by Indian security personnel in the border area has been observed due to these upcoming elections.
