ITAHARI, June 1: Champa Shah, a local of Sunsari Barju Rural Municipality-5, spends her days selling tea. Despite being busy, she went to a program organized to inaugurate the Office of the Returning Officer on Monday, wearing a smile on her face.

However, she expressed her confusion as none of the political parties has finalized their candidates for the polls. Voters like her are yet to identify a suitable leader for themselves.

“I will cast my vote to the leader who is suitable for leadership. But, as the Election Day gets closer, no party has been fixed its candidates for the polls,” said Shah.
The Madhes-based parties have influence in the rural municipality.

Sagir Miya, president of constituency -3 of RJPN, who was at the inauguration ceremony of Office of the Returning Officer on Monday, said that they are all set to announce their candidates. He stressed that the party would go for the election.

“Voters in Madhes are eager to elect their representatives. The environment is becoming conducive for the local polls,” said Miya.

Mahesh Prasad Ray, a leader of Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN), said that the party will soon announce its candidates as they have finalized Pramanada Jha as chairman and Murti Ram as deputy chairman of the rural municipality. However, he informed that the names can be changed in the coming days as the election date is yet to be confirmed.

The government on Monday had announced a new date for polls on June 23. But the Muslim Community on Tuesday urged the government to change the date again due to their Ramadan festival. Previously, the government was committed to hold the second phase polls on June 14.

Nepal Democratic Forum, another Madhes-based party, has also not fixed its candidates in the rural municipality. Parshuram Chaudhary, a local leader of the party, said that they are in the final phase to announce their candidates.

Awadh Narayan Yadav of Nepal Democratic Forum said that they will finalize the candidates in Gadhi Rural Municipality within two days. “We have been discussing the possible candidates and trying to field popular candidates than other parties,” said he.
 
Likewise, in Dewangunj Rural Municipality, the Nepal Democratic Forum has not announced its candidates as Santosh Bhagat and Shyam Lal Mehata have presented themselves as candidate for the post of chairman. The party is almost close to finalizing its candidates for Koshi Rural Municipality.

However, the party has been organizing election campaigns in Barah Municipality. “We have very strong presence in some wards of Barah Municipality. If we could make alliance with any party, we could get better results,” said Rajkumar Yadav, a leader of FSFN.

Local leaders of Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) and Nepal Democratic Forum have already started preparations to choose their candidates in Duhabi Municipality.

 
• voters
 
• madhes
 
• representatives