Dahal supports rebel candidate, disregards coalition’s decision

Published On: May 9, 2022 04:22 PM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


KATHMANDU, May 9: CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has publicly shown his support to rebel candidate Laxmi Satgauwa for the post of vice chairperson of Kailari Rural Municipality of Kailali district.

Although the ruling five-party alliance had agreed to give the post of chairperson of the rural municipality to CPN (Maoist Center) and the post of vice-chairperson to the Nepali Congress (NC), Satgauwa, a Maoist Center member and former vice-chairperson of the rural municipality, has nominated herself as a candidate for deputy mayor. 

Addressing an election rally organized at Kailari Rural Municipality on Monday, Dahal said that the ruling alliance is still unclear. On the occasion, he also urged the public to vote for the party’s candidate Lajuram Chaudhary for the post of chairperson and rebel candidate Satgauwa for the post of vice-chairperson. 

“I heartily appeal to all of you to vote for our party’s candidates,” Dahal said. “"I would like to assure all that I will be with you along with this team for the development of this rural municipality," he added. 

Along with Dahal, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is also in Dhangadhi since Sunday evening to address the election rallies in the region. NC cadres were dissatisfied after Dahal requested the people to vote for a rebel candidate instead of the NC candidate, as decided by the ruling coalition. 

Earlier, NC President Deuba had urged NC cadres of Bharatpur Metropolis to vote for Renu Dahal, the mayoral candidate from the CPN (Maoist Center), despite repeated pressure for the party’s cadres of the metropolis. The NC Chitwan district committee had demanded the post of mayor in Bharatpur but was not given any attention by the party. 

NC leader and former lawmaker Jagannath Poudel has nominated himself as the mayoral candidate of Bharatpur Metropolis from the independent cluster. Though leaders including Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel, Home Minister Bal Krishna Khan and Minister of State Umesh Shrestha requested him to withdraw his candidature, Poudel had not followed their suggestions. The party then expelled Poudel including his proposer and seconder from the Nepali Congress. Following the action from the party, as many as 136 cadres and members of Nepali Congress (NC) resigned from the party in Chitwan district.

However, with the support shown by Dahal to a rebel candidate, disregarding the decision of the ruling alliance, NC cadres have expressed their dissatisfaction over his actions.

 


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