At a time when physical attacks on election candidates are occurring in the eastern, mid-western and far-western regions, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba directed security agencies to ensure security of the candidate.
Prime Minister Deuba on Wednesday directed the chiefs of security bodies to create environment conducive for conducing the elections in a free and impartial atmosphere and without any sense of fear.
Addressing the province level seminar on security in Lamki of Kailali district today, the Prime Minister who also holds the portfolio of Home Minister, said there were reports that physical assaults on elections candidates were on the rise in some districts which had direct implication in the electoral process.
PM Deuba instructed the authorities concerned to dig out if there were loopholes in the election security plans and go work in a coordinated way.
Three high-profile poll candidates have been the target of bomb attacks in the last two weeks. Several other lesser-known candidates have come under similar attacks while campaigning for the parliamentary and provincial assembly elections scheduled for November 26 and December 7.
CPN-UML in a statement has already demanded to ensure the safety of their candidate. In a press release, UML blamed the government to conspire against the UML candidates.
Though no one has owned up responsibility for the attacks, police suspect that an offshoot group of former Maoist rebels led by Netra Bikram Chand could be behind all three attacks as they fit a familiar pattern. The Chand led-CPN Maoist has announced it is not taking part in the elections. The party had resorted to similar attacks in the first and second constituent assembly elections and the local elections.
Though security agencies are expecting similar challenges to poll security from underground outfits in the Terai districts, very few incidents of violence have been reported there so far.