India-Nepal border sealed 48 hours ahead of municipal elections to ensure peaceful polling

Maharajganj (UP): India’s border with Nepal was sealed on Monday, 48 hours before the municipal polls in the neighbouring country, to prevent anti-social elements from crossing the international boundary and vitiating the election atmosphere, officials said. The border at Sonauli was sealed at 8 am Monday morning, preventing vehicles from crossing the check-post, leading to long queues of trucks on both the sides. [caption id=“attachment_3748171” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Pedestrians and cyclists cross the border between India and Nepal in Sonauli. Getty Images[/caption] Pedestrians were, however, being allowed to cross the border, but only after thorough checking, officials said. Municipal elections will be held in Nepal on 28 June. Some Madhes-centric parties have opposed the elections seeking that the Constitution be amended to accommodate their demands for more representation in parliament and redrawing of provincial boundaries. “A decision to seal the border was taken at a high-level meeting of a coordination committee,” said VK Singh, District Magistrate, Maharajganj. The meeting was attended by officers of the local administration, police, border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), army, customs, immigration and other departments of both the countries. SSB, which works under the command of the Union home ministry, guards the 1,751 kilometre long India-Nepal border. Uttar Pradesh shares a 599.3 kilometre long open border with Nepal touching seven districts - Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Sravasti, Balrampur, Sidhharthnagar and Maharajganj.