Nepalgunj, January 28:

Arun Thapa, a candidate for the post of deputy mayor for Nepalgunj municipality, was flown to Kathmandu amid tight security via a Buddha Air flight this evening for “security reasons.”

However, Thapa’s family members said the security forces had sent him to Kathmandu as he was under pressure from his relatives to withdraw his candidacy.

The security forces told Thapa’s father, Sundar, who had gone to meet his son at the District Administration Office, Banke, not to worry about the security of his son, Sundar Thapa said.

Other candidates are also being kept under tight security and only family members are being allowed to meet them.

It is also reported that the local administration forced Guru Prasad Sharma and Bhuwan Krishna Shrestha to withdraw their candidacy for the post of mayor. This was done to elect Bipin Shrestha, a supporter of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party headed by Kamal Thapa, as mayor of Nepalgunj unopposed, it is reported.

According to a report from Jhapa, the security forces manhandled the family members of the poll candidates at Damak municipal building. The family members had gone there to meet the candidates contesting the upcoming municipal elections. After their nominations, the security personnel had taken the candidates running for different posts in Damak municipality under their control to provide them with security.

Security personnel baton-charged the family members after they demanded to see the candidates, Gopal Gadtaula, an eyewitness, said.

The poll candidates of Bhadrapur municipality are also under the protection of the security personnel since January 27 in Chandragadhi. Bhola Prasad Shivakoti, Chief District Officer, said: “We are providing security to those who have sought it.”

A report from Mahottari said the police this afternoon arrested Bal Krishna Dhakal, former mayor of Jaleshwor municipality, accusing him of attempting to disrupt the civic polls.