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Click on pic to enlarge (Photo source : muannepal.org)
The nomination procedure of the upcoming municipal election has completed. But, with a number of persons forced or pressured to file nominations, there are reports of family members and relatives pressuring the candidates to withdraw the nominations. Some family members are in utter panic as the threat on the lives of the candidates looms large with the issuing threats of physical punishment against the candidates. In the meantime, the seven opposition political parties have mounted their anti-election campaign. In view of security, election candidates in various districts have been kept in security camps, reports say. Here are some interesting glimpses of election scenario reported by vernacular news dailies:
Wife’s woe
Families of candidates contesting for various posts in Guleriya municipality in Bariya districts are under tremendous mental/psychological pressure following the nominations on Thursday. Wife of Rakesh Kumar Sharma, a mayoral candidate, has been requesting her husband to cancel the nomination, according to Annapurna Post daily. However, Sharma is adamant on contesting the election despite repeated requests from his wife and his relatives not to do so.
Wife, mother faint
Similarly, wife and mother of Ghana Shyam Vaishya, a ward chairman candidate for ward no. 8 of Guleriya Municipality, Bardiya, were reported to have fainted as soon as they heard the news of Vaishya’s nomination for the polls.
Mother, wife stage sit-in protest
Mother of Dhatnanda Bhattarai, a mayoral candidate of Tansen municipality in Palpa, has been staging sit-in protest in front of the district administration office demanding withdrawal of her son’s candidacy. Nepal Samacharpatra daily quoted the disgruntled mother as saying that she has not slept the whole night. Bhattarai is the sole candidate filing his nomination for the forthcoming elections.
Similarly, Narbada Bhandari sat for a hunger strike on Friday afternoon at Damak Municipality office demanding cancellation of her husband’s nomination for the municipal polls. Nain Singh Bhandari, the husband, was the only mayoral candidate of Damak municipality in Jhapa district in eastern Nepal. She appealed that nomination of her husband be cancelled unconditionally. Singh has been kept in security camp.
Unaware of nominations
Seven candidates in the eastern district of Illam said that they were unaware of their candidacy for municipal polls. They said that they were not associated with any activities related to election adding that they were totally non-political people. Santa Bir Tamang, and Shar Maya Tamang of ward no. 8, Krishna Bhakta Humangai and Til Bikram Basnet of ward no. 5, Sushman Kadel of ward no. 9 and Damber Shrestha of ward no. 8 said that they would withdraw their nominations.
Suicide threat
In the meantime, wife of a mayoral candidate from Janarkpur municipality threatening to commit suicide by consuming poison if her husband does not withdraw his nomination. Wife of Nepal Sadbhawana Party candidate, Raman Kumar Singh, met her husband at he security camp and asked him to cancel the nominations. Parents and his brother have also been pressurizing Singh to withdraw his nomination.
Expelled from party
Nepali Congress district committee of Dhankuta has expelled its member Yagya Prasad Guragain from party membership for the period of five years. Guragain had filed his nomination for the post of ward chairman of ward no. 2 as an independent candidate. Similarly, Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) has terminated the membership of Bharatendu Kumar Mallik and Rajeshwor Dubey for five years. Mallik has filed his candidacy in Bhadrapur Municipality, Jhapa district, and Dubey in Gaur Municipality in Rautahat district.
Municipal Office shifted
Amidst security threats, the office of Narayan Municipality in Dailekh was shifted at the District Police Office located at Devkota Chowk on Friday, according to Kathmandu Post daily.