While the rebel candidates running alongside NC President Sushil Koirala in Chitwan constituency number 4 and Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel in Tanahu constituency number 2 have refused to withdraw despite repeated efforts to persuade them to do so, the rebel candidate alongsie Sher Bahadur Deuba in Kailai constituency number 6 withdrew on Tuesday. [break]
The Election Commission (EC) had set Tuesday for any withdrawal of candidacies filed under the FPTP electoral system.
NC former Chitwan district president Bikash Koirala has stood as a rebel candidate alongsie party President Koirala in constituency number 4 of the district while central member of the NC-affiliated Nepal Tarun Dal, Purna Bahadur Gurung, is running alongside Vice-president Paudel in constituency number 2, Tanahu. "Our efforts to persuade them to withdraw have failed," said a senior NC leader concerned.
Talking to Republica, rebel candidate Koirala said he decided to withdraw from constituency number 3 to concentrate fully on constituency number 4 where party President Koirala is contesting. "I was assured a ticket under the proportional electoral system. But since this is my fight against injustice that the party leadership has done to me, I won´t withdraw my candidacy from constituency number 4," he said over the phone. He expressed confidence that he would surely win.
NC rebel candidate Gurung, who filed candidacy alongside Vice-president Poudel, also did not withdraw his candidacy. However, former NC lawmaker Ganga Bahadur Kunwar, who filed candidacy alongside senior leader Deuba, has withdrawn from Kailali-6.
According to NC Central Working Committee member Narahari Acharya, their efforts to persuade Suprabha Ghimire to withdraw her rebel candidacy in constituency number 4 in Kathmandu have also failed. This is the constituency where popular youth leader Gagan Thapa is contesting.
Likewise, Maoist Chairman Dahal is facing a hard time as rebel candidate from Siraha constituency number 5, Shrawan Yadav, formerly of the People´s Liberation Army (PLA), refused to withdraw his candidacy, Tuesday. Separately, the Matrika Yadav-led CPN (Maoist) has filed the candidacy of Jagat Yadav--the only candidate contesting the poll from the party--in the same constituency as Dahal.
Maoist Chairman Dahal, who is also contesting from Kathmandu constituency number 10, also faces rebel candidate Padam Kunwar, who came into the limelight after slapping Dahal´s face some time back.
Likewise, Maoist Madhes-in-charge Ram Chandra Jha will have to face a rebel candidate as Maoist central member Shrawan Yadav has refused to withdraw his candidacy from constituency number 1 in Dhanusha district. Jha recently defected from the CPN-UML.
Talking to Republica, Yadav expressed confidence that he would win the election. "I have already visited 17 VDCs to canvas votes. I will be visiting the 18th VDC tomorrow [Wednesday]," he said.
Yadav said he decided to field his candidacy as he could not let down the expectations that local people have of him. "People demand Shrawan Yadav from the Maoists, and no one else," he said. "I cannot go against the will of the people. People have asked me not to withdraw my candidacy."
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