The local administration has intensified security surveillance in various districts in the country in the wake of a series of attacks on candidates and election rallies in the run-up to the first phase of federal parliament and provincial assembly elections.

Police on Wednesday arrested scores of cadres of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN), the only force that is opposing the elections, which has been identified as a major threat to poll security.  Cases have been filed against the arrestees in accordance with the existing laws, said police. 

In Rukum, police arrested 18 CPN activists for their anti-election activities for the past few weeks. Sixteen of them were detained after CPN (Maoist Centre) leader and candidate for the federal parliament Janardan Sharam was attacked with explosives on November 10 during his election rally.  

“Eighteen persons have been arrested from different places so far for their involvement in anti-election activities. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure free and fair elections,” said DSP Rajendra Prasad Dhamala. 

CPN deputy district secretary Gambhir Sirpali and All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary district chairman Surendra Basnet are among those who have been arrested. 

Police said public offence charge has been filed against the arrested. 

Similarly, security personnel detained 14 CPN activists including district in-charge Lal Bahadur GC and filed case against them in Chitwan in the past 10 days. On Wednesday alone, four persons were held for anti-poll activities. 

A meeting of security agencies held last week had concluded that there was security threat in the district from the CPN. CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and sitting ministers duo Bikram Pandey and Sheshnath Adhikari are contesting for the federal parliament form the district. 

“We have filed cases against those nabbed with the explosives. Others are facing public offence charges,” said SP Dipak Thapa. Similarly, police detained 12 CPN activists in Panchthar. Three persons were arrested in Palpa. 

IED defused

NUWAKOT: A Nepal Army team defused an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that was found in Shivapuri Rural Municipality-4, Nuwakot on Wednesday.

The explosive was planted at the house of Uddhav Bahadur Thapa, a Nepali Congress leader who was recently elected as ward member of Shivapuri-4, on Tuesday night.

Two months ago, activists of Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal had smeared soot on Thapa’s face. (PR)