Kathmandu, April 16:

Repolling was cancelled in Arghakhanchi constituency 2 today after an unknown group set ballot boxes on fire.

“The chief returning officer cancelled the repolling. The officer has issued directives to hold repolling tomorrow,” EC spokesperson Laxman Bhattarai said at a press conference.

“Identifying themselves as voters, some people entered the polling centre at the Jukena VDC-based Sudha High School Kukena Chhpadanda ‘ka’ and threw ballot boxes out,” the EC said, adding that others set the boxes on fire.

Repolling was held in 20 centres of Mahottari and Arghakhanchi today. Repolling will be held in 24 polling centres of Siraha, Baglung, Dailekh and Nuwakot tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the EC has formed a three-member committee to investigate an incident that took place in Dhading during the polls.

According to reports, 18 ballots boxes and related documents, belonging to different polling centres of Kintang Phedi of Dhading district, were looted, while officers were transporting them to the district headquarters. “A panel was formed today to probe the incident. The panel will present its report to the EC in five days,” said Bhattarai.

The committee is headed by joint-secretary of the Ministry of Finance Sharada Prasad Trital. Undersecretary at the Election Commission Keshav Bastola and Senior Superintendent of Police Min Prasad Pandey are other members of the committee.

Meanwhile, results of FPTP polls held in 217 constituencies have been declared, the EC said. The CPN-Maoist has won 117 seats and the Nepali Congress has won 32 seats, the EC said. Vote-counting under PR system has been completed in 97 constituencies, while vote- counting is underway in 117 constituencies. The Modified Saint Lague Method has been applied to get results of the PR system of polls.

Meanwhile, National Election Monitoring Alliance today claimed that Maoist activists were involved in the Arghakhanchi incident. Quoting its observers, the NEMA said that Maoists took away ballot boxes and set them on fire in the morning. NEMA has also said that the security in the polling centre was insufficient and urged the government to provide security for the re-polling centre.