While Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala is contesting from constituency 3 of Banke, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is in the race from constituency 5 of Siraha and CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal from constituency 1 of Sarlahi district. However, they are also contesting from hill constituencies. [break]
Though the top leaders of these major three parties have vowed to fight for the cause of Madhes, political pundits say their candidacies are a ploy to set aside issues raised by Madhesi parties.
Political analyst Professor Rajendra Bimal, who lives in the Janakpurdham, said the top leaders of the major three parties are contesting the polls from Madhes only to serve their own vested interests. “These leaders feel that granting rights to the Madhesi people would prove counterproductive in the long run, “said Bimal. He, however, was quick to add that the Madhesi parties are no different.
“The Madhesi parties are capitalizing on the politics of caste, creed and community,” said Bimal. He also accused the Madhesi parties of sowing the seeds of communal hatred in the Tarai. He also said that the Madhesi people are no longer in favor of the Madhes-based parties.
“Madhesi community divided,” claimed Bimal, adding, “The effort of the top leaders of big parties to woo the Madhesi voters would amount to naught. It would have been wiser of them to field Madhesi candidates in the Tarai constituencies,” said Bimal.
Former election commissioner Birendra Mishra said the top leaders of major parties are contesting from Tarai constituencies in an effort to get sympathy votes from Madhesi voters. “By contesting from Tarai constituencies, they want to show that they are equally sensitive toward the agendas of Madhes,” said Mishra.
Mishra, however, said that that the Madhesi leader´s hue and cry over candidacies of these leaders shows their intellectual bankruptcy.
Likewise, both Mishra and Bimal said that the Madhesi leaders, who think they will have an upper hand in the elections by criticizing leaders from hill origin, wrongly believe so. “This won´t earn them the sympathy of the electorate,” said Bimal.
“On the other hand, the major parties should also field leaders of Madhesi origin from the constituencies in the hills. This would foster environment for national unity,” said Mishra.
Civil Society leader of Sarlahi Ugra Kant Jha said the candidacies of top brass of major parties have given an alternative choice to the voters in the Tarai. “The voters in the Tarai constituencies are disappointed with the Madhesi parties as they did nothing for the cause of Madhes even when they were in the government,” said Jha. He said the major parties would secure maximum votes from the Tarai constituencies.
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