Parties busy finalising by-poll candidates

District level leaders and cadres of three major political parties have left for Kathmandu to lobby for the nomination of their favourite candidates Parties busy finalising by-poll candidates

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Bimal Khatiwada

Published at : May 21, 2014

Updated at : May 21, 2014 08:43

Chitwan

As Chitwan constituency-4 braces for the June 22 by-election, district level leaders and cadres of three major political parties — Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) — have left for Kathmandu to lobby for the nomination of their favourite candidates.

The Election Commission decided to hold by-election in the constituency after Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, who had won from two constituencies (Banke constituency-3 and Chitwan-4) in the elections held in November 19 2013, vacated his CA membership from Chitwan-4.

The Chitwan-4 constituency is considered to be NC’s stronghold as Koirala had won this constituency with a huge margin in the last CA election. Koirala had secured this constituency after securing 20,760 votes. His nearest rival Chitra Bahadur Shrestha of UCPN (Maoist) had received only 10,739 votes.

NC is said to be almost certain that the party will reclaim the constituency in the June 22 by-election, while CPN-UML is learnt to have intensified its election campaign in a bid to secure the constituency for itself.

Meanwhile, the three major parties are said to be currently engaged in serious homework to finalise the name of their candidates for the upcoming by-election in Chitwan-4 on the basis of recommendations made by their regional committees.

District UML chairman JN Thapaliya said that the names of Parvati Rawal, Bishnu Tiwari, Ramji Sapkota and Muktinath Adhikari have been recommended as possible candidates for Chitwan-4.

However, a UML party source said that the party is going to field Rawal from Chitwan-4 election this time too. Rawal, who lost to Koirala in last year’s CA election, is looking forward to win this time around.

“We will intensify our election campaign after finalizing the name of the party’s election candidate for Chitwan-4 within three days,” Thapaliya said.

Similarly, NC’s Chitwan district president Tek Prasad Gurung is currently in Kathmandu to help the party’s parliamentary board to finalise the party’s election candidate for Chitwan-4.

“I will return only after finalizing party’s candidate for Chitwan-4,” Tek Prasad said, adding that thereafter they would focus their attention on the election campaign.

A NC party source said that Ram Krishna Ghimire, Topman Gurung and Tek Prasad Gurung are strong candidates from the NC.

“I have not asked for the ticket. But if the party fields me this time, I will not happily accept,” Tek Prasad said.

UCPN (Maoist) is said to be preparing to field a new candidate for Chitwan-4 as Chitra Bahadur Shrestha, who lost the seat to Koirala is said to not be in no mood to contest.