GULMI, June 24: With just four days left before second phase local elections, political leaders and candidates are busy in canvassing voters. Candidates have intensified their door-to-door visits to request for votes. Similarly, locals staying away from their home districts are travelling back to their places. But it does not apply to farmers like Rikhiram Sunar of Resunga-4. He is more busy in his farmland as it is the season of paddy plantation. He is concerned about plantation than the election.
Sunar said it has been busy in his farm for the past four days. He needs few more days to complee paddy plantation. "I will vote in the morning and come back to my field for plantation also on the day of election," he added.
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According to Sunar, candidates have now started visiting them in their fields to request for votes. Though other people look busy in election campaign, Sunar has no time for that because paddy plantation is more important for him. "If the plantation is not done during these days, I will have hard time in feeding my family for months," he added. "The season pays off with good crops only if the plantation is done in time. The government has ignored the concerns of farmers by holding election at this time."
Not only Sunar, most of the farmers here are busy in plantation. They are more busy in plantation than election campaigns. Similarly, Man Bahadur Bista of Dhurkot-3, who was toiling in his field, said that the government did a mistake by scheduling election in the mid of plantation season. "By scheduling in the plantation season, the government seems to have forgotten that Nepal is an agricultural country," he added.
According to Bista, it will take few more days for them to complete plantation. "I will certainly go to vote. But, I have no time at all to join other election activities because if I don't work now, it will be difficult for me for the entire year," he added.
Officialls of District Agriculture Development Office, Gulmi, said that as fields do not have irrigation facility, farmers are in a rush for plantation whenever there is good rainfall. "Farmer in Chaurasi Phant, Majuwa, Chaptaari, Shantipur, Rupakot, Khajyarng, Juhang, Hansara, Hastichaur and Kurgha are currently engaged in plantation," Chakra Pani Panthi, a senior agriculture development officer, at the office told Republica.
