Shalik beats Pandey

DHADING: Maoist leader Shalik Ram Jammarkatel beat UML candidate Rajendra Bahadur Pandey in Dhading-3 by a staggering difference of 10,000 votes. Pandey was elected from this constituency in all the past elections since 1990 with a huge lead against his closest contenders. Jammarkatel, who leads the Maoist trade union activities, said that the result was suggestive of people’s mandate for change while Pandey, who was thrashed by the Maoist activists ahead of the election, charged that the Maoists did not allow him to conduct his campaign there. — HNS

Rana loses to Shrestha

SINDHUPALCHOWK: Chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Pashupati Shumshere Rana, lost to Maoist candidate Raj Kumar Shrestha in Sindhupalchowk. Rana is trailing behind in the third position in Sindhupalchowk-3, which he had won in 1999 general election. He had also won from the then constituency-2, which comprised large parts of the current constituency-3, in the district in 1991 elections. — HNS

24 injured in mishap

Tanahun: Twenty-four passengers were hurt when a minibus heading from Pokhara to Damauli met with an accident near a nursery at Dulegaunda-2 on Sunday morning. Of the 24 injured, Ranju Shrestha, 23, is in a critical condition. — HNS

YCL cadre shot at

KHOTANG: YCL cadre Kumar Rai of Nirmaldanda-6 was critically injured when an unidentified group shot at him in the district on Sunday. “The group shot at him at 12 noon at his house,” the Khotang District Police Office said. Rai, who was seriously injured in the shooting, has been sent to Diktel for treatment. — HNS