A bomb exploded Monday near a venue where Nepal's seven major political parties launched a joint campaign for a constituent assembly election, injuring two people. Senior Superintendent of Police Bhisma Prasain told Kyodo News that the explosion occurred in Bhotahity, some 100 meters from the open air theater where the mass meeting was held.
The explosion occurred minutes after political leaders had left the venue after delivering their speeches, Prasain said.
"Thousands of people were leaving the venue at the time of the explosion. Two were injured," he said. The extent of their injuries is yet to be ascertained. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of members of the seven parties, including the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), marched jointly from dozens of locations in Kathmandu and later converged at the theater for a mass meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Maoist chairman Prachanda said the joint campaign is a strong answer to all those who doubt that the key election will really be held.
"This joint meeting is a vow to build a new Nepal, a federal democratic republican Nepal," Prachanda said.
Leaders of all the seven political parties addressed the meeting.
Election to the assembly is a key part of Nepal's peace process with the former Maoist rebels, who ended their 10-year insurgency in November 2006. The insurgency cost the country over 13,000 lives.