By Our Reporter
Although Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is determined to forge an effective alliance with ruling parties in the upcoming elections, a section of popular leaders has claimed that they will not leave the mayoral post of Bharatpur Metropolitan City in Chitwan to the Maoist Centre.
Division in the NC widened in 2017 polls after Deuba decided to support Maoist Centre’s candidate Renu Dahal, daughter of Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ in the post of Mayor in Bharatpur. Although she won after tearing ballot papers, it left a scar on the NC, and the Bharatpur episode was attributed to the poor show of the party in the general elections in November 2017 in which NC faced a humiliating defeat.
Irked by the decision to cast votes for the Maoists, the NC leaders of Chitwan are now united demanding that NC should field its candidates for the post of Mayor in Bharatpur. General Secretary Gagan Thapa and Shekhar Koirala too backed the Chitwan NC leaders, which is likely to breach the alliance.
However, the parties have decided that the candidates of all six Metropolis will be fixed by the centre and Deuba may manage to impose his decision. But there is a fear of revolt from local leaders, and if that happens, UML candidates may win elections in Bharatpur. But if Prachanda finds a safe place for him for the House of Representatives, Renu may contest the poll for parliament from Chitwan, and in such case, NC can have its own candidate, but it has to abandon another metropolis because the ruling parties have tentatively said to agree to give NC three metropolis and three remaining parties to share remaining three.
Meanwhile, the ruling parties Tuesday formed a committee headed by NC senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel to make preparations and monitor the elections. The committee will suggest the local levels requiring alliance and the appropriate candidates. And if the ruling parties forged and implemented the election alliance, the CPN-UML is likely to be cornered.
Ruling party misusing government fund in election campaign
Local elections are nearing day by day and the misuse of government funds and helicopters has already begun by the leaders of the ruling parties.
Not only the ministers but also the leaders of ruling parties have been flying one district after another to address the mass meetings orgainsed for the local polls, to welcome the leaders from other parties and to crticise the leaders of the rival parties.
While Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand has been visiting several districts, Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the ruling Maoist Centre and Madhav Kumar Nepal of CPN (Unified Socialist) too are touring the country asking people to vote for their parties. And these leaders have been misusing the government fund not only to travel but also to organise party-centric events.
While the leaders of the ruling parties are misusing the national coffer, parties like RPP have been touring the districts on their own. Rajndera Lingden, the RPP chair is also now touring the country for the elections. However, UML chair and leaders may be using the resources they amassed while leading the government for three years.
Is UML strong as assumed by NC president Deuba?
Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba has given more importance to election alliance among the ruling parties stating that the UML was still strong.
But other leaders of the party do not agree with his claim.
Is the UML is as strong as claimed by Deuba. Obviously, the UML is not strong as it was in the 2017 elections. First, it has split with key leaders joining the CPN (Unified Socialist) led by Madhav Kumar Nepal, who led the UML party for 14 years as general secretary. Jhalanath Khanal, the former general secretary and party chairman are also in the CPN (Unified Socialist). Bam Dev Gautam is also not with the UML. Many former ministers with a popular base are also not with UML. This means UML is not as strong as it was in 2017 in all districts. However, in villages, it is still strong because the presence of the CPN (Unified Socialist) is negligible. However, when the UML candidates have won the 2017 locals polls by a thin margin on many local levels, in those local levels the split could be costly for the UML. But again, many influential Maoist leaders have joined the CPN-UML. For example, in Chitwan, Rautahat and Arghakhanchi, the UML might have become stronger after Ram Badahur Thapa, Prabhu Shah and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi joined UML.
There are others within UML who are not happy with the way KP Sharma Oli led the government and the party, and they may try to teach him a lesson by not voting for his candidates. Yes, in the urban areas, the UML has become weaker because of the corruption that flourished during the time of the Oli-led government and the better presence of the CPN (Unified Socialist) but in the rural areas, the UML has not lost its popularity. Therefore, Deuba looks right to say that UML is still strong.
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