A group of Maoist rebels has caused explosion in the house of Dilli Bahadur Khadaka, an independent mayoral candidate for Tulsipur municipality in the mid-western district of Dang Friday night.

According to reports, the rebels forced family members of Khadka out of their house at Rakshya Chour of Tulsipur Municipality-2 at around 11 p.m. on Friday and caused explosions. Two houses belonging to Khadka have been destroyed.

Khadka was away from his house when the rebels attacked his residence.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) has disqualified 23 candidates vying for different positions in 12 municipalities for not fulfilling the formalities.

According to the state-run The Rising Nepal daily, nominations filed by three candidates for the post of Mayor, five for deputy Mayor, 12 candidates for ward chairmen, two for ward members and one for reserved seat for women members have been declared invalid.

The daily quoted the spokesperson at the EC, Tejmuni Bajracharya, as saying that a person to propose and another to support the proposal has to be present while filing candidacy for the polls. The commission said that it has found some people filing their candidacy from other than their place of residence.