Amid rising concern over continued attacks on candidates and election campaigns, senior leaders of the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre) were targeted on Friday in what could pose a serious challenge to poll security. 

An improvised explosive device (IED) targeted at senior NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat in Nuwakot on Friday morning injured six people. 

Nuwakot DSP Madhukar Jung Bista said one of the vehicles (Ba 16 Cha 665) used in Mahat’s poll convoy was badly damaged after it overturned due to the impact of the blast. Upendra Mishra, Bhes Kumar Tamang, Sabin Lama, Lila Bahadur Gharti Magar, Ram Bahadur Rai and Ramesh Rai were injured in the explosion. They were taken to Ranipauwa Health Post for treatment. Mishra, Rai and Lama were later airlifted to Kathmandu. They are undergoing treatment at Grande Hospital, said Ramesh Kumar Mahat, a provincial assembly candidate of the NC for Nuwakot 1(B). 

Mahat and his team were on their way to Thansingh in Kakani Rural Municiplaity-8 to attend an election rally of the party. The IED went off at Daandagaun Singarechaur in Kakani Rural Municipality-5 in the district.

Security has been beefed up in the area, said police, adding that they have launched a search operation to nab the perpetrators. 

It was a close shave for NC leader Mahat, also a former finance minister, as his vehicle had just moved past when the IED went off. 

Issuing a statement later on Friday, the NC condemned the incident. 

In another incident, an unidentified group hurled an IED targeting the vehicles carrying former Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar and CPN (Maoist Centre) leaders Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Barshaman Pun along the Liwang-Satdobato road section. 

The left alliance election publicity team was heading towards the district headquarters Liwang to address an election rally when unidentified persons hurled the explosive from a forest near the Bhadaure temple along the road section at around 11:45am. 

The incident site is some five kilometres from the meeting venue and three kilometres from the nearest Nepal Army barrack. 

Manoj Gharti, press adviser to Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, said that the IED landed some 10 metres from the leaders motorcade. 

Rolpa DSP Gyanendra Phuyal said no one was injured in the incident and that the leaders were escorted to Liwang from Sulichaur. Police also found another unexploded IED from the incident site.

Earlier, on Thursday, an IED was hurled at the vehicle of Irrigation State Minister Amar Singh Pun in the district.