The CPN (Maoist Centre) on Wednesday decided to deploy its top leaders, including Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, in Province 2 in view of the local elections scheduled for September 18.

The Maoist Centre, which was left behind in the two rounds of local elections held in six provinces on May 14 and June 28, aims to “improve performance” in the third round of local polls and mobilisation of senior leaders in the province is part of the strategy. 

Chairman Dahal has been given the responsibility of Siraha while Narayan Kaji Shrestha will take care of Sarlahi, as per the party decision. Dahal had won the second Constituent Assembly elections from Siraha Constituency 5.

Similarly, Ram Bahadur Thapa will be in Dhanusha, Haribol Gajurel in Rautahat, Dinanath Sharma in Parsa, Chakrapani Khanal in Saptari, Dilaram Acharya in Bara and Bishwo Bhakta Dulal in Mahottari.

Representatives for 127 local units in the eight districts of Province 2 will be elected from the third phase of local polls. 

The leaders have been tasked with manage internal conflicts in the districts and leading the election campaigns. The party believes it faced a drubbing in the earlier two rounds of polls due to internal conflict. A party meeting on Wednesday also decided to hold political trainings in all provinces. 

Provincial meetings and trainings will dwell on ways to bring down the strength of the central committee to two digits as decided by the recent extended secretariat meeting of the party. The meetings will also devise strategy for the upcoming polls. 

Maoist Centre spokesperson Pampha Bhusal said Wednesday’s meeting also finalised the work divisions of members of the party headquarters for upcoming provincial and federal elections. 

The political training for Province 3 has been postponed to August 8 due to the elections in Bharatpur -19 on August 4.

The party has also restructured the party’s departments after concerns from the leaders that they had failed to work as per expectations. 

Who’ll go where

• Pushpa Kamal Dahal: Siraha 

• Narayan Kaji Shrestha: Sarlahi

• Ram Bahadur Thapa: Dhanusha

• Haribol Gajurel: Rautahat

• Dinanath Sharma: Parsa

• Chakrapani Khanal: Saptari

• Dilaram Acharya: Bara 

• Bishwo Bhakta Dulal: Mahottari