KATHMANDU: As many as 68 parties among the Naya Shakti Party Nepal on Saturday began a relay hunger strike against the law that granted party-wise election symbols to the parties represented in the Parliament only.

The leaders began the hunger strike at the Shanti Batika of Ratna Park today. The strike would last till April 21.

The parties have also said they would obstruct the programmes of voters' education to be carried out by the Election Commission at the local level and other programmes related to election monitoring and observation to be carried out by the government and NGOs.

Of late, the parties have been protesting the Local Level Elections Act, which forbids parties outside the Parliament to get party-wise symbols for the upcoming polls, in the run-up to the May 14 local level elections.