The historic local level elections took place in 34 districts in the first phase in a largely peaceful manner, barring a few incidents of violence.

One person was killed while 20 others were injured in the Powati Polling Centre in Dolakha district after police opened fire to control the mob that tried to disrupt the election.

Police fired more than 50 shots after hooligans tried to capture the booth. Nakul Bhujel was killed on the spot. Other injured were airlifted to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu on a Nepal Army chopper. Chief District Officer Yagya Raj Bohora said police were compelled to take action after a gang started breaking the ballot boxes and tearing ballot papers.

“The election went peacefully till 3pm, when a gang tried to disrupt voting,” the CDO told a press conference. Bohora said minor clashes were reported also from eight other polling stations in Gairimudi, Marbu, Jhule, Jafe, Shahare and Melung.

“The election was largely peaceful and people voted with enthusiasm,” the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement on Sunday evening. The NHRC had deployed 42 monitoring teams in the districts. The commission said ward chairman candidate of the CPN (Maoist Centre) Prem Bahadur Rimal was abducted by an unidentified group.

According to Kavre Deputy CDO Bhim Kanta Sharma, voting in Namobuddha-4 of the district was postponed after a relative of the local Nawaraj Pathak was killed in shooting on Saturday night.

The kin and locals demonstrated from early Sunday morning claiming that Pathak was shot by the Armed Police Force. The local administration, however, has denied the claim.

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry decided to honour Pathak as a martyr and provide Rs1 million for the bereaved family in compensation. In Kalikot, activists of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal seized a ballot box and set it on fire at Naraharinath Village Council on Sunday evening. The ballot box was being brought to Kumalgaun from the polling centre in Malkot for counting. The assailants had attacked election officials and seized the ballots. Security personnel had fired warning shots but Chand’s activists had encircled the election officials and security personnel and snatched away the ballot box. Six persons, including two policemen, were injured in the incident.

(With inputs from our district correspondents)