By Our Reporter The decision of the Election Commission to hold re-election in Bharatpur Metropolitan City in Chitwan has irked the UML as well as the voters. The counting of the votes in Bharatpurwas disrupted in the midnight on last Wednesday (May 28) after Maoist cadres tore 90 of the ballot papers with an ill intention of forcing the EC to hold the re-poll in Ward No 19 after Maoist candidate RenuDahal failed to garner expected votes. Many UML men think that the ballot papers were torn at the design of the Prime Minister’s Residence, Baluwater as Renu is the daughter of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Renu is the common candidate of the Maoist Centre and the Nepali Congress in Bharatpur,a stronghold of Nepali Congress. But Dahal failed to garner winning votes until the counting of votes reached the final stage.  She had received votes almost 790 less than UML candidate Devi Gyawali by the time when only the votes of Ward No 19 and 20 were to be counted. The Maoist activists as well NC leaders were hopeful that Renu would make up the difference in Ward No 19. But Renu received only 51 more votes than Gayawali while counting over 1800 of nearly 3000 votes of the ward.  She was almost sure to lose the Mayoral post to Gyawali. As such, a conspiracy was hatched in Kathmandu in the presence of Attorney General Raman Shrestha and the Renu’s two representatives—MaduNeupane and DronababuSivakoti tore the ballot papers, said the UML leaders. They also argued that Chief Election Officer KabiNeupane was also taken into confidence in the crime as the ballot papers were tone when Neupane had been to toilet. However, the ruling party failed to take the police officer present there into confidence, and he immediately arrested the cadres and revealed how and who tore the ballot papers. The public naturally believed the police officer as he had arrested the culprits red-handed. Obviously, the ballot papers were torn on the basis of a loophole in the election law that a reelection will be held if the ballot papers were taken under control and torn. But the design only exposed the ill intention of the Maoist Centre. Many people had expected that the EC would allowtocount the remaining votes by keeping the torn 90 votes in notice as suggested by the experts including former EC chief NilkanhthaUprety. These experts had claimed that re-election in Bhartapur would set a wrong precedence as the losing candidates would tear the ballot papers when he saw slim chance of winning the poll. But contrary to the public expectation, the EC decided to hold reelection which has been stayed by a Supreme Court interim order on Monday until June 11. A single bench of Justice Cholendra ShumsherRana issued the interim order while responding a writ filed by GunjamanBiswakrama and lawyer Tulsi Ram Pande. The EC decision which was delayed for days only irked the UML and the people in general. It is noteworthy to mention here that the alliance forged by NC president SherBahadurDeuba with the Maoist Centre in Bharapur Metropolitan City was blamed for the defeat of NC in Kathmandu, Pokhara and other cities in the first-phase of local poll.  Many think that re-polling in Bharatpur will further damage NC’s position in the second phase poll as NC and Maoist are demanding reelection. Probably under pressure from the Home Ministry Neupane and Shivakoti were released on bail. However, it is still not sure whether SC would endorse the EC decision or reverse it telling EC to count the votes. Again, the controversial EC statement stating that hundreds of ballot papers were torn has raised suspicion whether the EC had also nodded the illegal act of the Maoist cadres when only 90 ballot papers were torn. The EC decision had also delayed SherBahadurDeuba’s ascent to power for three days. The election of prime minister scheduled for Sunday was postponed till Tuesday when UML threatened to disrupt the parliament citing the EC’s decision to hold the re-election in Chitwan.