The 79,727 Nepal Army troops in the upcoming election of the House of Representatives on February 21, 2017, is the highest level of security posture of the state under the Integrated Election Security Plan 2082. The third security ring will be the Army, which will work in collaboration with the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Election officers, and will involve the high-risk and sensitive polling areas.
One such feature is the air security and logistics plan: Surkhet, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Biratnagar, and Itahari helicopters will assist during and after voting in aerial patrols, rapid response, and transport of ballots and boxes via the inaccessible areas on the road.
There is also the expectation of IED/ explosive threats, and the bomb disposal units are on alert in potential risk areas. With the police forces being occupied with the polling activities, they leave the task of critical infrastructure security to the army, including airports, prisons, Singha Durbar, and other critical installations. Such a stratified strategy is an indication of the readiness to face logistical, geographic, and security issues that are common in nationwide elections in Nepal.
