Nepal Election Portal

By-election campaign heats up

07/04/2009 — News

Political parties in Kanchanpur constituency-4 have heated up their campaigns for the Constituent Assembly (CA) by-election scheduled for Friday.

As Tuesday is the final day of campaign, all 15 candidates vying from the constituency are busy courting voters using aggressive tactics. To pull more voters, most of the parties have mobilised their central leaders, who are walking shoulder-to-shoulder with the candidates in the campaign.

Nepali Congress (NC) organised an election programme on Monday in the presence of the party's senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and youth leader Gagan Thapa. Likewise on Sunday, CPN-UML leaders KP Oli and Bidhya Bhandari addressed the election rally in support of their party's candidate.

Like in the historic CA election, the main competition is among the candidates of NC, CPN-UML and Unified CPN (Maoist). The candidates from all the three parties have claimed victory even before the votes are cast. There are 67,589 voters in Kanchanpur-4. NC's Deuba had won the constituency last time with 12,824 votes beating Maoist candidate Harish Thakulla, who received 11,795 votes.

Parties have also intensified their campaigns in Dhanusha constituency-5, also known as the area of President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav. The area is bustling with activity with parties organising election assemblies and rallies to garner public support.

Of the 36 candidates competing from this constituency, 17 are independents.

This time, the previous winner NC has fielded the President's son Chandramohan Yadav. Raghubir Mahaseth of CPN-UML, who lost from Dhanusha-4 during the CA polls, is trying his luck from constituency-5 this time.

In Morang constituency-5, the main contenders are Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), Unified CPN (Maoist), NC, Tarai Madhesh Loktantric Party (TMLP) and CPN-UML.

The constituency was won by MJF's Upendra Yadav, now the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who beat NC's Amrit Aryal during the CA elections.

In Morang constituency-7, 26 candidates are in the fray. The competition, however, is set between MJF, NC, Unified CPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML. NC’s Shekhar Koirala, who lost to MJF's Bijay Kumar Gachhedar during the CA polls, is in the fray for the second time.

Senior leaders of all major parties, including Jhalanath Khanal of CPN-UML, Krishna Sitaula of NC, Bijay Kumar Gachhedar of MJF and Mahanta Thakur of TMLP are in Morang to canvass for their party candidates.

Unified CPN (Maoist), CPN-UML and NC are the major contenders vying from Kaski constituency-1, won by Minister for Law Dev Prasad Gurung during the CA polls.

To attract voters from the Gurung community, both NC and the Maoist have fielded candidates from the Gurung community. CPN-UML has sent out to the contest Shaligram Poudel, former mayor of Lekhnath Municipality.

In Rolpa constituency-2, 11 parties are contesting for the CA by-election. A former Unified CPN (Maoist) leader is contesting as an independent candidate.

This time also, the competition is among Unified CPN (Maoist), NC and CPN-UML. The candidates from all three parties are campaigning hard to secure the constituency, earlier won by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

For more information visit: http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=188155

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