The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) said on Saturday that it has instructed security agencies to increase patrols and arrest people involved in anti-election activities.

According to a MoHA source, over 100 people have been arrested in various districts for their involvement in anti-election activities. The arrested are said to be cadres of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal, the only party that is opposing the elections.

The MoHA instruction follows a spate of attacks on candidates for the upcoming provincial and federal elections and poll rallies. 

“The ministry’s serious attention has been drawn to the recent attacks on the candidates in various parts of the country,” MoHA said in the statement. “Unified teams of security agencies have already been deployed to ensure elections in free, fair and peaceful manner and security bodies have intensified checking and patrols.”

MoHA, however, has stopped short of saying what progress it has made regarding its investigation into attacks on party candidates in recent days. Nor has it said anything about arrests made in connection to those incidents. The first phase of provincial and federal elections will be held in 32 districts on November 26. 

According to MoHA, around 60,000 security personnel will be deployed for the polls. The government has also hired 98,000 temporary police for the polls. 

According to the ministry, preparations are underway to deploy security personnel based on the sensitivity of the polling centres. 

Up to 15 security personnel each will be deployed in polling centres which are identified as highly sensitive, while polling centres categorised as sensitive will have 11 security personnel each.