KATHMANDU, Nov 15: Influential leaders of major political parties have not participated in the programs of other districts and constituencies during the provincial assembly and House of Representatives elections to be held on November 20. As the time given by the Election Commission for campaigning is about to be over, the top leaders of the major parties came out for the election meeting, but the influential and second-tier leaders of the party remained confined to their own constituencies.
The leaders who are said to be the future leaders of the party and the country, and who are said to be in a position to do so, have not participated in the election programs being held elsewhere as they feel insecure in their own constituencies. The second-tier leaders of the parties including Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist) etc have not shown any signs of leaving their constituencies even in the remaining days. The top leaders, who have been criticized for not handing over the leadership from within and outside the party, are active in the election campaign to ensure that the results of the provincial and HoR elections to be held on November 20 are in favor of their party. Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Rajendra Lingden are busy in the election campaign.
But Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel, former general secretaries Prakashman Singh, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Shashank Koirala, vice presidents Purna Bahadur Khadka and Dhanraj Gurung as well as general secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma and leader Shekhar Koirala are active in programs focused on their constituencies.
Shekhar Koirala, who is contesting the election from Morang-6, is the leader of the other faction within the Nepali Congress. Not only leaders Paudel, Singh, Sitaula, Shashank, Khadka, but also General Secretary Thapa have been presenting themselves as the future prime minister. General Secretary Thapa has been saying that he wants to be in the 'driving seat' to clean up not only the party but also the country and for that he has to win the election. Another General Secretary Sharma has been saying that he has to win the election from Jhapa 1 to promote youth as the Prime Minister. The NC joint-general secretaries along with them, who have created the image of a national leader, have not left their fields.
Left Alliance lead in three constituencies at Dang
Due to the unpredicted votes gathered by new political parties as well as independent candidates in the local level elections, they have been limited to their own areas. In the 2017 election, even though there was an alliance with the CPN-UML and the Maoist Center, the leaders of the NC, who went on the election campaign, are now unable to be sure of the results even when they are coordinating with the parties including the Maoist Center and the CPN (Unified Socialist). Leaders of most of the parties, not only the NC, who reached their respective constituencies for nominations, have not returned to Kathmandu. The NC General Secretary Thapa, former general secretary Singh, leader Pradeep Paudel, whose election constituency is Kathmandu, have not been seen in the election campaign of any other constituencies apart from their own constituencies.
General Secretary Bishwaprakash Sharma addressed a joint meeting organized at Chandragadhi of Jhapa 1 and 3 three days ago. Sharma is a candidate from Jhapa 1 and Sitaula is a candidate from Jhapa 3. NC leader Paudel reached Palungtar to address the joint assembly of Tanahun and Gorkha on Monday. In addition to that, former Vice president Bimalendra Nidhi, NC Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat, who are in the proportional list, were seen in the election meeting. This situation persists not only in the NC but also in the UML which is leading the opposition alliance.
UML Chairman Oli has claimed that his party will directly win 100 seats. But because of the ruling alliance, the party's second-tier leaders have not gone to programs outside their constituencies. While Oli was addressing election meetings held in various constituencies, Shankar Pokharel, the powerful leader and general secretary of UML, could not come out of Dang 2. He is active in the election programs in his own area because he is not sure of his victory. UML Senior Vice Chairman Ishwar Pokharel has also been confined to Kathmandu 5. Pokharel is under pressure as the NC has fielded central member Pradeep Paudel from the ruling coalition.
Vice chairmen Subash Chandra Nembang and Bishnu Poudel have also not been able to get out of their constituencies. Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali as well as secretaries Gokarna Bista and Yogesh Bhattarai have also not been able to leave their areas. They are seen by UML leaders and cadres as the future leadership of the party.
The condition of leaders from the Maoist Center including Pampha Bhusal, Dev Prasad Gurung, Barshaman Pun, Janardan Sharma is also the same. Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is reaching not only his own but other election meetings. Senior Vice Chairman Narayankaji Shrestha, who is not in the election contest and is also a member of the National Assembly, is supporting Dahal in some election meetings. CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, whose party is competing for 19 seats in the House of Representatives, is visiting the election meetings. But other leaders including senior leader Jhalnath Khanal are limited to their own constituencies.
Even the top leaders of the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) and Janata Samajwadi party (JSP), which is making Madhesh their base, have not been able to go out in the election campaign. LSP Chairman Mahantha Thakur and JSP Chairman Upendra Yadav are facing challenges to turn the election results in their favor on November 20.
