The local administration in Janakpur has been placing all candidates of the upcoming municipal polls in a house near the army barracks of the district citing security reasons.

The 72 candidates placed there charged the local administration of detaining them due to the fear that they might take back their nominations, reports said.

A local journalist, who met the candidates told Nepalnews that they are angry with the government as they are repeatedly saying that they will manage their security own their own.

The Janakpur CDO refuted reports saying that the candidates had not been locked up but admitted that they had been placed at the same place in view of security.

In a bid to disrupt the municipal polls, Maoists shot dead Bijay Lal Das, a mayoral candidate of the terai-based Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP), Janakpur on Sunday afternoon.

Likewise, reports from mid western and far western development regions said many candidates of Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi municipalities are planning to take back their candidacy citing security reasons.

Only 3,255 candidates filed nominations across the country on Thursday for the 4,146 posts of February 8 municipal polls. The EC is holding election for 4,146 representatives in one metropolis, four sub-metropolis and 53 municipalities in 43 districts of the country.

Meanwhile, Nepal Telecom has cut off mobiles phones of Janakpur Exchange from Friday afternoon. Though authorities are yet to give any reasons, it is believed that the mobile phones were cut taking the municipal polls into consideration.

The mobile phone lines of Mahottari and Sarlahi have also been cut off from Friday.