Kathmandu, February 23:

As the date for Free Students’ Union (FSU) election is coming closer, disgruntled factions of the Nepal Students’ Union (NSU) and All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU) have started withdrawing their nominations.

The election commission of Ratna Rajya Multiple Campus today acknowledged that the ANNFSU panel headed by Nawaraj Poudel was the authentic one. Nawaraj Gurung who has filed his nomination as ANNFSU candidate will now fight as an independent candidate. Five students from his panel have filed a petition to withdraw their names from his panel stating that their signatures were fake.

Pranay Singh ‘Munna’, president of NSU unit, also withdrew his nomination from TU Central Campus. Two ANNFSU panels headed by Sujit Silwal and Kamal Raj Sunuwar in Nepal Commerce Campus withdrew their nominations. ANNFSU panel headed by Ram Krishna Ghimire, who is a central committee nominee, will contest with NSU and student wing of NC-D on February 28.

Student leaders said factions in the major student unions NSU and ANNFSU were due to lack of preparation, internal conflict and political upheaval. “Most of the leaders were in detention and others were in hiding that led to poor management in forming teams,” said Pradip Poudel, NSU vice-president.

He said alliances were formed wherever possible but polls would be held in a friendly environment for a democratic republican set-up and peace.

Meanwhile, TU Information Centre today appealed to all the student organisations to help in conducting the FSU polls in a peaceful manner. “It has come to our notice that vandalising of campus property, manhandling and abduction of professors involved in the elections have increased and should be stopped at the earliest,” said Prem Krishna Chitrakar, chief of the Information Centre, in a press release here today.

The crisis in Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus could not be resolved till late in the evening, as no election commission could be formed following the resignation of former election commissioner after the students resorted to vandalism on February 22.

Prachanda Bikram Neupane ‘Guntu’, FSU presidential candidate, said the election should be conducted as per the schedule.

Central leaders and former student unions today engaged in massive campaigning and promotion of the election in all the Valley campuses. Public holidays starting from tomorrow till Sunday will hamper election campaigns.

“Holidays will affect the campaigning hence we have no other option but to talk on the phone and visit students’ houses,” said Baldev Timilisna, a student of Pashupati Campus.