Nepal in turmoil as Maoists reject election results Nepal's Maoist leader, who swapped arms for politics when his "people's war" ended in 2006, threw the country's elections into doubt Thursday by claiming the poll was rigged following big losses for his party. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Prachanda, demanded a halt to vote-counting after losing his own seat in Tuesday's elections aimed at installing a constituent assembly and ending years of political instability. Images of a maoist demonstration in Kathmandu. Images and soundbites of supporters of Nepal's Communist Party protesting.