Lalitpur, April 12:

CPN-Maoist candidates swept away the base of CPN-UML in Lalitpur by winning all three constituencies, which used to be UML bastion in the past.

Barsha Man Pun ‘Ananta’, the PLA’s deputy commander, won the election from Constituency No 1 by securing 15,325 votes. Udaya Shumsher Rana of the Nepali Congress stood second with 14,011 votes and UML’s Madhusudhan Poudel third with just 9,784 votes. UML had won in Lalitpur-1 in 1994 and 1999 parliamentary elections.

In Constituency No 2 too, UML was on third position. Maoist candidate Raj Kajee Maharjan (29) defeated Nepali Congress’ Chandra Maharjan by merely 696 votes. Raj Kajee got 17,088 votes against 16,392 votes of Chandra Maharjan, while a renowned Siddhi Lal Singh of CPN-UML got only 11,335 votes.

Singh had defeated Chandra Maharjan in 1994 with almost double votes, and UML’s Krishna Lal Maharjan had won the 1999 parliamentary polls from the same constituency.

Chief election officer of the Constituency No 2 Hemanta Rawal handed over the winning certificate to Maharjan. Congratulating Maharjan, Rawal wished that he would

contribute greatly to draft the best constitution for the country.

Raj Kajee said his party would address the agenda of the youths.

“We are here because of the youths,” Raj Kajee said adding that the youths would be mobilised for the development of the nation.

In Constituency No 3, Maoist candidate minister Pampha Bhusal won the election with a heavy margin.

Bhusal secured 18,930 while her nearest rival CPN-UML’s Raghuji Panta got 10,632. Mohan Shyam Poudel of the Nepali Congress got 10,251 votes. Panta had won twice from the constituency in 1994 and 1999.

Following her victory, Bhusal said that Maoists would now begin an economic revolution in the country. She said women had an overwhelming participation in this election and it has already made the Nepali women sovereign.

“Equal opportunity alone is not enough for women. They need prerogative rights and that should be ensured through the Constituent Assembly,” Bhusal added.