The electoral mood in Banke is heating up despite the uncertainty on whether the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N), an alliance of six Madhes-centric parties, will participate in the second phase of the local election.

While the RJP-N has remained dormant, choosing not to campaign for the election scheduled for June 14, other political parties in the district, including the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal and the Nepal Loktantrik Forum, have ramped up electioneering. The people are also positive about the election taking place successfully, with the participation of the RJP-N.

Durga Teli, a resident of Daduwa, said most parties have started door-to-door campaign and election pamphleteering in her area.

 “It is only the RJP-N activists who have remained noticeably absent. The public mood for election is definitely favourable and positive,” said Teli.

Dipak Yadav, a resident of Khadaicha, said the campaign fervour has picked up in case of major political parties like Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre).

“The people in my area are also eager to participate in the election. We hope that the RJPN will come around,” said Yadav.

The local RJP-N leaders, meanwhile, seem conflicted by the lack of clear position of their central leaders on the election. With the central leadership still undecided, Pashupatidayal Mishra, a local RJP-N leader, said the party members at the local level were growing anxious seeing the preparations made by other parties.

“We are still waiting for the party’s directive,” said Mishra of the RJP-N’s position regarding the upcoming local election.

Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum starts election activities in Kapilvastu

The Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal has started its campaign for the local election in Kapilvastu district. The district committee of the party has also formed a talks team to form an electoral alliance with other parties. Shailendra Yadav, district chairman of the party, said they were ready to forge an electoral alliance with other parties, besides Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party. He added that the central leadership of the party has already directed the local leaderships to create an election environment in all local units.

NC presses for young candidates in Biratnagar

Supporters of the NC have started to pressurise their party leaders to nominate youth candidates for the local polls from Biratnagar metropolis. More than five hundred youths, led by NC’s Hari Bhattarai, have started a campaign in Biratnagar to press the party leadership into picking young candidates.

Maoist Centre, Cong poll alliance in Palpa village

The ruling NC and Maoist Centre have forged an electoral alliance to field

common candidates at Nisdi Village Council in Palpa district. Organising a joint press conference in Tansen on Thursday, the two parties made public their candidates Shalikram Pandey of the NC as the for chairperson and Balu Gaire of the Maoist Centre for vice-chairperson. Nisdi is a UML stronghold.