By Rup Narayan Dhakal: Pokhara—Series of explosions and attacked have been carried out against more than a dozen of leaders from left alliance and democratic alliance in Nepal in recent days. Nepal is going to hold parliamentary and provincial polls on November 26 and December 7; in this connection Netra Bikram Chand Biplav led Communist Party of Nepal has been opposing the polls. Though it has been said that the explosions and attacks have been carried out by an unidentified group, there is believed the hand of that party on those attacks.
At a time when the poll dates are coming closer, the trends of attacks and explosions are going up. So, Election Commission Nepal had held a meeting with government officials to address the insecurity over the electoral candidates, leaders and voters. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuwa who is also having the portfolio of Home Minister, claimed that the government is serious over the recent attacks and explosion against the leaders and candidates. Government claims that 90 percent of 72,000 Nepali Police force has been deployed for the security of election related phenomenon.
There is no report of casualty in the incidents so far however about a dozen of persons have been injured during the time. In most of the cases, the bombs have been hurled over the vehicles that were traveled by the electoral candidates and their team members. Some of the mine blasts have also been carried out and leaders and candidates have been ambushed in the turning of the road while they were heading for electoral rally or mass meeting or coming back from those programs. Candidates, leaders and party cadres are busy in electoral rally and mass meeting these days here in Nepal.
The security teams provident by government to candidates sometime answer gunfire to the gang who carries out explosion and attacks but the key culprits have not been arrested yet. However, police have arrested around 200 leaders and cadres of Biplav led Maoists from across the nation as they have protested the polls and may come up with anti-election activities during and prior to elections. Talking to BBC Nepali service, Biplav led Maoist central committee member Dhurba Ghimire didn’t directly claim the responsibility behind the recent attacks and explosions however he added that there is rage among the people against leaders and this political system of Nepal.
In this context, the bomb attack had targeted CPN-MC leader and minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, CPN-MC leader and former finance minister Barsa Man Pun and former speaker Onsari Gharti in Rolpa on November 17. Earlier Pun was targeted in same district on November 11 and 12. In this connection, the first blast was carried out in Rukum on November 10, targeting CPN-MC leader and Minister Janardan Sharma. CPN-UML leader Sherdhan Rai travelling vehicle was attacked on November 14 in Bhojpur.
On November 16, CPN-MC leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha was targeted in Gorkha and Nepali Congress leader and state minister for irrigation Amar Singh Pun was attacked in Rolpa on same day. Former finance minister and Nepali Congress leader Dr. Ram Sharan and his team were attacked at Kakani in Nuwakot on November 17. Lately, today a bus that was travelling by commoners who were on their way to mass meetings of left and democratic parties was attacked at Sunkoshi Rural Municipality in Okhaldhunga.
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