Banke, March 19:

Maoist chairman Prachanda today there was no need to deploy the army for poll security despite the killing of poll candidates and party cadres.

Speaking at a press meet in Nepalgunj, he said the polls would not stop just because the ‘royalist’ and ‘reactionary’ forces kill a few poll candidates and party cadres.

“The CA polls are not going to stop because of the death of one or two candidates,” said Prachanda, adding that a few unwanted incidents are usual during the polls. He blamed royalist forces for such incidents.

Prachanda alleged that reactionary forces in the country were trying to disrupt the CA polls and iterated his commitment to hold the polls smoothly.

Prachanda also alleged that vested interest groups within and outside the country were spending tens of millions of rupees to ensure that he was defeated from Kathmandu-10. He warned that there would be a public revolt and the Maoists would lead it in case the polls were deferred.

Earlier, Prachanda was scheduled to address a public meeting at BP Chowk, but the programme was cancelled, following the killing of Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal’s candidate Kamal Adhikari by the JTMM-J cadres last night. Prachanda called on Adhikari’s bereaved family and also asked the government to take action against Adhikari’s killers.