Vote for only those who deliver, say Jhapali voters

JHAPA: Prem Prasad Pokharel (Falahari), famous for founding the Trifala national library in Mechinagar-10, does not trust the assurances made by political parties during elections.

He will be voting in constituency-1 of Jhapa district. Pokharel, however, said that he is yet to decide whom to vote for and would take the important decision only after getting hands on the ballot paper on Election day.

There are 106,000 voters in this constituency, and with no party holding influence it is hard to tell who will win. "It's very hard to tell the probability of both the leftist alliance and democratic alliance," said Hari Neupane of Buddha Shanti Rural Municipality.

Neupane,30, said he would vote for the candidate who is likely to work for economic prosperity and understand the feelings of the people.

There are five candidates contesting the post of member of House of Representatives from this constituency, with 150 vying for the state assembly seats. Nepali Congress,

CPN-UML, CPN Maoist Ccentre, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Naya Shakti Party, Mangol National Organisation, Rastriya Janamukti Party, Deshbhakta Janaganatantrik Morcha, Bibeksheel, Nepal Janata Party and independent candidates are in the fray in the near-coming elections.

A total of 3.23 million voters are casting their ballots in the first phase. Among them, 585,236 voters of Jhapa are casting their votes from 692 polling centres and 283 polling booths.

The political parties canvassing voters in the districts have promised to advance tourism and modernize agriculture sector as the mainstay of the people here in course of election campaign.

Candidates of the political parties have also emphatically presented the agenda of physical infrastructure and industrial development. Being ignorant to the populist slogans and agenda of the political parties, the locals here seem to give mandate to the leaders capable to lead the country.

"We should vote. But we are not stuck to vote to our party", said Prem Bahadur Katuwal, 76, of Mechinagar. He added that people are seeking competent leadership.