It was no less a heroic feat for the candidates to file their nominations on Thursday for the forthcoming municipal polls amid ‘Nepal bandh,’ protests from the seven party opposition alliance and the Maoist threats. Follows glimpses of election scenario compiled from various news reports:
Wife opposes nominations
Bhuvan Krishna Shrestha, a mayoral candidate in the mid-western district of Banke, was forced to withdraw his candidacy after his wife reached the district election office crying and asked him to cancel his nomination for the post of mayor of Nepalgunj municipality. Shrestha is the district chairman of Rastrabadi Milan Kendra, a royalist outfit.
Membership terminated
Nepali Congress district committee of Morang has terminated the membership of party activist, Binod Aryal, for a period of five years for contesting for the post of mayor of the eastern town of Biratnagar. Similarly, the Bara district unit of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) has terminated general membership of two of its cadres who filed their candidacy for the position of ward chairmen in Bara district. Bikram Yadav filed his nominations for chairman of Kalaiya municipality ward no. 11 while Bhagirath Giri filed for ward no. 13 as independent candidates.
DDC vice chairman and a sweeper vie for the same post
Devi Jung Gurung, the nominated district vice chairman of Kaski district, filed his nomination for the post of mayor of Pokhara sub-metropolitan city. Yam Bahadur Pariyar, the head sweeper at the Pokhara sub-metropolis, has also filed his nomination for the same post. Jayalal Pun, who was arrested few months back in connection with the construction of bus-park, is vying for the post of deputy mayor of Pokhara.
Couple jointly file candidacy
Ganesh Lal Shrestha and his wife Leela Devi Shrestha filed their nominations for the post of mayor and deputy mayor of Banepa municipality on Thursday. Both of them will be contesting elections as Ganesh is a truck driver and Leela a house wife. Since they are sole candidates for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor, they are likely to be elected unopposed, according to reports.
Porter is only the candidate
Atmaram Duwal, who has been working as a porter, has filed his nomination for the post of mayor of Panauti municipality in Kavre district. He is also the only the candidate for the post.
Brothers to contest for the post of mayor
Two brothers will be contesting for the post of mayor in Baglung municipality. Bidur Khadka and his brother Mahendra Khadka filed their nomination for the same post on Thursday. Bidur Khadka represents the Rastriya Prajatantra Party led by Home Minister Kamal Thapa while Mahendra—a businessman– has been contesting as an independent candidate.
Candidates demand security
Candidates vying for various positions of Kathmandu metropolitan city have demanded security soon after they filed their nominations at the district election office on Thursday. They informed the police post near them and have apprised them about the location of their residence. Police escorted many of the candidates in Kathmandu to their residence, advised them to remain vigilant and asked them to inform police if they receive any threats.
Many wards have no candidates
In Kathmandu, where government claims to have maintained good security, candidacy for various positions was less than what was required to fill the positions of the local body. Large number of seats in wards of these municipalities has no candidates. Three wards of Kathmandu, nine wards of Kirtpur and three wards in Lalitpur have no candidates at all to contest the election.
Manisha asks to vote
Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala.
Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala.
(Photo source : rediff.com)
Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala has asked people to cast their votes in the forth coming municipal elections. Koirala who reached district election office in Morang along with rebel NC candidate, Binod Aryal, said that adult franchise was the essence of democratic system in any country. She accused her grandfather (NC president) Girija Prasad Koirala of having deviated from the path shown by Nepali Congress veteran late B. P. Koirala. She said she would return to Mumbai only after the polls are over.
To protest Manisha’s canvassing in favour of voting, students in eastern district of Jhapa took out a rally on Wednesday. They also burnt her effigy and threatened to boycott all film in which she has acted. Similarly, student activists in the western town of Pokhara have requested all cinema hall owners in town not to screen Ms. Koirala’s films. Students accused that she had been active in poll campaigns since her father, Prakash Koirala, had been nominated a minister by His Majesty the King after the royal takeover.