Sandhikharka, April 6:

Leaders of Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have submitted written applications to the police and the district administration stating that they fear the Maoists will not let free and fair elections happen in Arghakhanchi district.

They fear the Maoists will resort to capturing booths to make Top Bahadur Rayamajhi win the election from Constituency No 1, where a large number of Young Communist League cadres have fanned out.

Chet Nath Acharya, the CPN-UML candidate from Constituency No 1, said he did not believe the Maoists would allow voters to cast their ballots freely. “Maoists have brought more than 500 outsiders in the constituency to capture booths,” he said. NC candidate Man Bahadur Biswokarma and Rastriya Janmorcha candidate Dilram Acharaya echoed Acharya’s view. “The Maoists have brought in people from outside and are engaged in terrorising voters,” they said.

RJM candidate Dilram said the YCL has set up camps at several places but the administration and the police are silent.

Arghakhanchi CDO Bhawani Prasad Parajuli confirmed that political parties have lodged complaints about the Maoists setting up camps and bringing YCL cadres in the district.

“We questioned the Maoists about the outsiders being brought in the district. They

say the cadres were brought here to boost the morale of the candidates in the district,” said CDO Parajuli.

The district administration has declared sensitive over a dozen villages including Hanspur, Dharapani, Baghi, Chidika, Balkot, Keruga and Manyai.

Maoist candidate Rayamajhi said the apprehension expressed by other parties was a reflection of their defeated mentality and added that the NC and the UML were resorting to anti-Maoist propaganda.

Rayamajhi also said the CPN-Maoist had deployed its cadres according to the party’s security needs, balance of strength and defence strategy.

Twenty candidates of different parties are in the fray in this district that has 42 VDCs.

In the last election eight years ago, UML and RJM had won in the two constituencies. This time, NC, UML, Maoists and RJM are poised to contest.

NC is hoping for an advantage as the left parties don’t have an electoral understanding.

The Maoists consider Constituency No 1 as their base.

In Constituency No 2, NC’s Pushpa Bhusal, UML’s Dilli Raj Khanal amd CPN-Maoist’s Ram Prasad Banjade are the main contenders. The battle, however, seems likely between NC and UML.