KATHMANDU, May 3: The main opposition CPN-UML and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), a rightist force championing the Hindutva agenda, have formed an electoral alliance in Kathmandu, fielding consensus candidates for the post of mayor and deputy mayor in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the biggest metropolitan city in the country.
The two parties have fielded UML leader Bidhya Sundar Shakya as their common candidate for Kathmandu mayor and RPP leader Rajaram Shrestha as deputy mayor.
Kathmandu is slated to go to the local polls on May 14, the date set for the first phase of local elections.
UML and RPP leaders have described the move as an effort to secure victory in the most important city. Though Kathmandu is considered a traditional support base of Nepali Congress, the new alliance is likely to pose a serious challenge to the largest party.
The electoral alliance in Kathmandu has also set tone for similar alliances in other constituencies of the country.
UML secretary Yogesh Bhattarai said that there could be alliance with RPP in other constituencies on the need basis. The two parties are also expected to forge an electoral alliance in Lalitpur Metropolitan City.
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