A person was arrested after he attempted to physically attack former Nepalese Prime Minister and opposition leader KP Sharma Oli during a publicity campaign in Dhankuta district of eastern Nepal. The attacker was identfied as Mahesh Rai by the police, who tried to slap Oli while he was being greeted by other people during the Mid-hill East-West campaign of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML).
A video of the incident verified by the police shows Rai approaching Oli and attempting to slap him and was stopped by security escorts of the former PM and dragged back by a crowd of Oli's supporters. He was standing alongside other people in the area, who were offering flowers and garlanding Oli.
"Upon examination, we have found that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident. There is no political motive behind the attempted assault. We have detained him," Rajeshnath Bastola, Koshi State Police Chief DIG confirmed to ANI over a phone call.
Oli arrived in Dhankuta on Thursday as part of the CPN-UML's campaign, as Nepal is gearing up for the National Assembly elections on January 25, 2024, to fill 20 vacant seats of the upper house, as announced last month.
"The Election Commission had suggested the date for the election as January 25, according to which the date has been fixed through the meeting of the council of ministers," Nepal government spokesperson Rekha Sharma told news agency ANI.
A total of 20 seats in the National Assembly will be vacant after March 3. Out of these, 19 seats will be elected through elections. While the remaining one will be nominated by the President on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.
In the National Assembly, the post of eight MPs from the Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), four from the Nepali Congress, three from CPN (Maoist Center), two from the Unified Socialist Party, one from the Janata Samajwadi Party, one from Rastriya Swatantra Party and one MP from UML will be vacant.
(with ANI inputs)
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