• CPN M leaders say they only appealed to public to abstain from voting

Gaighat, April 5 As the date of the civic polls approaches, Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist cadres have started threatening aspiring candidates in Udayapur against filing candidacy for any post. “My life has not been threatened, but, they have asked not to file candidacy. I am a bit scared. I want to use the opportunity received after two decades,” said a man from the Magar community who wants to be a candidate from Udayapurgadi Rural Municipality. The man said he had informed his party about the threat. “The ball is now in the party’s court. I shall abide by the party’s decision,” the man added. Chand M Udayapur district Secretary Kedar Rai, however, claimed that his party had just appealed to the public to abstain from voting. “We have issued a threat to none,” Rai said. He made it clear that his party was against the local level poll and informed that his party leaders and cadres had launched a campaign to disrupt civic poll in villages. Rai argued that they had campaigned against the election as it was against the people and the country. “This poll is pointless, so we have urged the public not to vote,” he said. Meanwhile, police arrested three Chand-led Maoist cadres who were campaigning for boycotting the poll in Triyuga Bazaar area today. The arrested are Janak Shrestha, Bikash Rai and Yudin, said SP Nar Bahadur KC. Udayapur CDO Kali Prasad Parajuli, however, expressed ignorance about the Maoist threat to aspiring candidates. He claimed that the Maoist poll boycott campaign would have no impact at all on the polls. He said that security had been tightened in the district.