KATHMANDU: The main opposition party CPN-UML has called Chitwan bandha tomorrow in protest of delaying resumption of vote counting in Bharatpur Metropolitan City.

Earlier, CPN-Maoist Party representatives had torn ballot papers during a vote counting of ward number 19 of the Bharatpur Metropolis.

Organising a press meet today in Chitwan, the party has urged to resume vote counting to safeguard people's passion as three days has elapsed after the vote counting of ward number 19 was halted on May 28.

With 29 wards in the Metropolitan city, the vote count of ward number 19 was in the final round before the CPN-Maoist Centre Party representatives resorted to tearing of ballot papers during the counting of votes. The vote counting of ward number 20 is yet to begin.

Meanwhile, CPN-UML mayor candidate Devi Prasad Gywali is currently leading by 733 votes margin to his nearest rival CPN-Maoist Centre's candidate Renu Dahal.

Dahal, is the daughter of caretaker government's PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

CPN-UML District Chairman Krishna Bhakta Pokharel said that the party was compelled to take this action as it was not their wish rather it was a compulsion. He also pledged the local industrialists, traders, professionals, farmers, students including all walks of lives to support tomorrow's Chitwan district banda.

In a statement today, CPN-UML has claimed that "the act of tearing ballot paper would fade public's belief towards democracy and such act would promote criminal activities in the future."

Similarly, UML Politburo member Kasi Nath Adhikari addressing a corner meeting said CPN-UML would not spare those who have attacked democracy.

He also warned that the party would not shy away from sacrificing if the Election Commission makes a decision in favor of promoting such criminal activities.

He also informed that the Chitwan banda would be withdrawn if EC makes the decision to resume vote counting by 6 am tomorrow.

UML cadres who have been staging a sit-in protest demanding for the resumption of vote counting from today would be continued tomorrow, reads the statement.

Earlier, a three-member committee was formed by EC to probe into the ballot paper tearing incident in Bharatpur Metropolis, has submitted its report to EC today.

The panel was headed by the commission’s joint attorney Gita Prasad Timsina. Joint Secretary Mahesh Acharya at the Ministry of Home Affairs and DIG Kedar Man Singh Bhandari were its members.

According to Election Commission's spokesperson, Surya Prasad Sharma EC has received the report and would be soon making a decision in this regard.

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