Balen Shah’s Helicopter Returns to Kathmandu Mid-Flight

KATHMANDU. Various comments and speculations are circulating following an incident where a helicopter carrying Balen Shah—a senior leader of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and candidate for Jhapa-5—returned to Kathmandu mid-way while en route to his constituency after he cast his vote.

After voting in Kathmandu on Thursday, Shah departed by helicopter for Jhapa. However, reports surfaced that the helicopter returned to Kathmandu without landing in Jhapa. This sudden return sparked various rumors on social media and news outlets, with some questioning if the flight had been operated without proper authorization.

When Nepal News Bank contacted Sita Pun, the Assistant Spokesperson of the Election Commission, to clarify the matter, she stated that the claims regarding a lack of permission were merely false rumors.

"The Commission does not have information on why his helicopter returned," Pun said. "However, the talk about not having permission is just a rumor. Balen ji himself came to the Commission on Wednesday and obtained the necessary permit."

The official reason for the helicopter’s mid-air return remains unknown. Meanwhile, the Commission has also issued a press release confirming that Shah had received authorization.

"The Election Commission granted permission to use a helicopter for the Kathmandu-Jhapa route for the date of Phagun 21, 2082. The letter sent by the Commission specifies that the helicopter could only be used on that specific route," the statement read.

According to the Commission, a provision has been made requiring a separate record of all expenses incurred during the helicopter use, which must be provided to the Commission upon request. The Commission stated that this arrangement is in place to ensure the transparency of election expenditures.