“The far-western region is our priority in the coming election,” said UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal while addressing a mass meeting here in the district. [break]
Local UCPN (Maoist) are under pressure to retain their lead in the coming election as some of the key Maoist leaders in the region quit the party to form CPN-Maoist that has announced to boycott the coming election.
The leaders joining the agitating party include Harilal Thapa, Shankar Khadka, Saradsingh Bhandari, Khem Bam, Laxmi Joshi, Rupa Chaudhary, Bhagal Badawal, Kamal Thagunna and Devilal Tharu.
“It is natural that there´d be some challenges,” said Maoist candidate Khagaraj Bhatta. “We are confident that we will secure majority seats in the coming election as well.”
The UCPN (Maoist) sought support from central level leaders as the party has fielded new faces in all the constituencies except in Baitadi district.
Local Maoist leaders in the region, who invited party chairman Dahal earlier this week, have planned to invite another top leader Baburam Bhattarai soon.
“UCPN (Maoist) leaders rarely visited the far-western district in the past, but now they are now as they face challenges in retaining their position in the coming election,” said civil society member Khemraj Joshi.
Similar is the opinion of Rajendra Pant, chief of the Mountain Higher Secondary School. He believed that the Maoist leaders have tough challenges, mainly in the hill districts of the region, as they promised ambitious programs in the last election but failed to deliver.
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