Voting has begun in two election centres in Rukum district on Friday, where the Election Commission had decided conduct re-election after acid was poured in ballot boxes.

Re-election is underway at one each polling stations of Bafikot Rural Municipality and Aathbiskot Municipality from 7 am.

The elections were cancelled after acid was poured into the ballot boxes during the elections held on November 26 at Ratna Basic School, Kada (A) in Bafikot Rural Municipality-5 and Nepal Rastriya Secondary School, Gatasaina (B) in Aathbiskot Municipality-11.

The re-election is being held at the Ratna Basic School polling centre to choose the candidate for federal parliament, while it is being held at the Nepal Rastriya Secondary School  centre only for selecting proportional representation (PR) candidate.

Police have suspected that voters might have put acid into the ballot boxes along with their ballot, causing a fire in the box. The fire was doused later on.

Two hundred and forty-six votes had been cast in the ballot box in question at the Ratna Basic School centre when the incident occured whereas 303 votes were cast in the ballot box at the Nepal Rastriya Secondary School polling centre.

Police have arrested Kalpana KC of Bafikot and Keshav Khadka of Aathbiskot for their alleged involvement in the acid attack.  There are 672 voters in Bafikot Rural Municipality-5, Kada (A)  and 756 voters in Aathbiskot Municipality-11, Gatasaina (B).