People in Thawang, the epicentre of the Maoist insurgency, took part in the second phase of local level elections on Wednesday with enthusiasm.

According to election officials, around 65 percent of votes were cast in Thawang Village Council that includes the then Thawang, Mirul and Uwa VDCs. 

The wards 1 and 2 of the village council now comprise the former Thawang VDC. In ward 1, out of 1,079 registered voters, 679 cast their ballots on Wednesday. In ward 2, of the 1,212 voters, 822 exercised their franchise. 

In the elections of Constituent Assembly (CA) held in 2013, not a single villager in Thawang had cast their vote to show their support to the CPN-Maoist that had boycotted the vote.

Only the election officials and security personnel deployed to the polling centre had cast 77 votes under proportional representation system then. 

In the 2008 CA polls, the villagers had voted for the then CPN (Maoist) candidates.    

These days, a majority of Thawang villagers are said to be the supporters of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal.

Although the party is not participating in the local elections, its leader Amit Gharti is contesting as an independent candidate for the post of the village council chairperson.

Ballot box torched in Rolpa

ROLPA: An unidentified man torched a ballot box during the local level elections in Rolpa Municipality-10 on Wednesday.

According to the local administration, around 15 ballot papers were burnt in the incident. The District Election Office said at total 150 votes were cast from the voting centre. 

Polls cancelled after clash

BAJHANG: Elections at Pandu Higher Secondary School centre in Jaya Pritvi Municipality-2, Bajhang, was cancelled after a clash between the supporters of Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML on Wednesday morning.

The clash broke out after some people were found voting in place of physically-challenged voters. 

82-year-old dies at voting centre

DAMAK: An 82-year-old man died at the voting centre in Saraswoti Secondary School of Jhapa’s Damak Metropolis on Wednesday.

Narendra Bhandari, who collapsed while verifying his name in the voter list, was declared dead at the scene. 

Two held with IEDs 

UDAYAPUR: Two supporters of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal were arrested in possession of improvised explosive devices (IED) at Lampangtar in Rautamai Village Council-7, Udayapur, on Wednesday.

Police said Bharat Basnet and Tilak Tamang of Triyuga Municipality were caught with the IED. The duo was reportedly on the way to a voting centre. 

Explosion near polling station 

DANG: An explosion was set off near a polling station in Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City, Dang on Wednesday.

Police said an improvised explosive device was detonated nearly 300 metres away from the Pratapkot polling station. There were no serious damage of properties or casualties.

Banda affects life in Janakpur

JANAKPUR: Normal life in Janakpur was affected due to a banda enforced by the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) on Wednesday.

The Madhes-centric party had called for the banda to protest against the local level elections.

The RJP-N supporters took out a motorcycle rally in the town and organised a protest assembly that was addressed by local leaders. (PR)