Seven people, including a Nepali Congress (NC) candidate for the federal parliament from Udaypur Constituency 2, were injured when an improvised explosive device exploded at Dunuwarbeshi of the district on Wednesday.

All the injured have been airlifted to the TU Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for treatment.

Though there were incidents of blast and attack on candidates and poll rallies in the run-up to the first phase of polls, elections were largely peaceful on Sunday, but there has been a resurgence of attacks and explosions for the last two days, stoking serious security concerns.

This was the second incident of IED blast in Udaypur in as many days. On Tuesday, NC leader Narayan Khadka survived an explosion at Triyuga Municipality-10 while he was on his way to Beldobhan to participate in a poll rally.

Wednesday’s IED, a five-litre pressure cooker packed with explosives, targeting Karki’s vehicle (Ba 15 Cha 7806) was detonated when he was on his way to Nepaltar Bazaar in Udayapurgadhi from Katari to participate in an election programme.

SP Nawaraj Bhatta said Karki, his aide Mira Katuwal, driver Rajan Karki, Dhanamaya Dhaulakoti, Krishna Bahadur Shrestha, police constable Kalidash Shrestha and journalist Nawaraj Paudel were injured in the blast.  Condition of Karki, Dhaulakoti and driver Rajan is critical, he said. “Karki has sustained serious injuries in his chest, legs and head,” he added.

Chief District Officer Chandraman Shrestha said all the injured were immediately airlifted to capital.

CDO Shrestha suspected the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal could be behind the blast.

The incident site is 40 kilometres west of Gaighat, the district headquarters of Udaypur. In another incident, an IED targeting NC’s province assembly candidate Chandra Bahadur Tamang’s vehicle was detonated at Walting in Roshi Rural Municipality in Kavre on Wednesday.

Tamang was on his way to attend an election programme at Mangaltar. His vehicle had just moved past when the blast occurred, according to an eyewitness.