A small group of youth, who call themselves Bibeksheel Nepali, has chosen a dog as their election emblem, pledging to serve the nation as obediently as the animal. [break]
"It is honest, it is obedient and worthy of vote," the election slogan reads. Due to the attractive slogan, unique emblem and confidence of the leaders, people have been talking about their initiatives.
"We are alternative to the leaders and political parties that people are fed up with," Ujwal Thapa, an independent candidate of the group said. He added that people have been responding positively to their daring commitments.
Thapa claims to have entered politics to break the existing trend and fulfill public aspirations. "It is not a time to curse politician only. It is time to do something for the change," said Thapa, who is contesting from Kathmandu-5. The group believes that its participation in the CA election would encourage other youths to take politics seriously. "Incompetent, old leaders have hijacked Nepali politics and made us suffer because of their indecision. Only youth can bring about the change," he claimed.
The group, which has been actively participating in various movements of the recent past, like the Occupy Baluwatar movement, reservation of seats for women in public vehicles, protests against corruption, and had planted paddy saplings on the road to protest the delay in road construction, said that it is also against the trend of turning politics into profession.
"We all have academic degrees and entrepreneurial backgrounds. We are against the existing trend of becoming professional politicians," said Santosh Pradhan, another candidate of the group who will contest from constituency 4 of Kathmandu.
He claims that his organization did not sprout right before the elections and has a well-thought out vision for a prosperous Nepal. According to the group, 95 percent of the voters in his constituency are neutral and they would cast votes to them if they managed to persuade them about their agendas.
Pradhan, who has been busy in door-to-door campaign, said that his campaign is supported by 15 active volunteers.
"We don´t have money to pay or purchase motorbikes for our supporters so we have only a few of them," he said, adding quickly that the group also is against such trend.
Pradhan said, if his group wins, it will create a movement inside the CA to pressurize other parties to take quick decisions. "Somebody has to start and we will take the lead," he added.
Pukar Bam, another candidate contesting from Kathmandu-8, said that a vote is not just a piece of paper but our future and the future of our progenies. He requested people to leave the past and choose the future. "We are working to bring together people with positive thoughts for change," Bam said, adding that he will work as watchdog of the people in the new CA, if elected.
When asked why they are contesting when they had a slim chance of winning the elections, he said, "We are contesting for the change. The four parties have blighted the nation and we want to rectify that," he claimed.
Govinda Narayan Timalsina, another candidate of Bibeksheel Nepali, who is contesting from Kathmandu-1, said that his group has joined politics to change the prevailing ill-practices in Nepali politics.
"It is not the time to curse politicians only. It is time to do something from our initiatives," he said, adding, "The last benchers have always been ruling us. It is time to bring first benchers in the politics for the well-being of our nation," he said.
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