Achham, November 29

As the second phase of provincial and parliamentary elections draw close, elections in Achham-1 are turning out to be a battle of pride mainly between candidates of the left and  democratic alliances.

CPN-UML Vice-chair Bhim Rawal is contesting as a left alliance candidate for the parliamentary seat in the constituency while Nepali Congress’ district president Bharat Kumar Swar is said to be his close rival.

Candidates of both forces have intensified their poll publicity campaigns in the district.

NC’s Swar has a long political history dating back to his student life. He was elected chairperson of District Development Committee in 1993. He has assumed the responsibility of NC district president for the second term. Swar is contesting election against the left alliance candidate Bhim Rawal, an influential leader.

Rawal won elections in the district in 1991, 1999 and 2013. He was defeated in elections in the district only once. NC candidate Govinda Shah defeated Rawal in 1994. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly in 2007 as a UML candidate under proportional representative electoral system.

As per the results of the recently held civic polls, there isn’t much difference in the number of votes garnered by both the NC and the UML in the constituency.

The Nepali Congress is doing everything possible to lure voters of the CPN-Maoist Centre. “However, we can’t predict results right away,” said CPN-MC District Coordinator Jhapad Saud.

CPN-MC had garnered over 11,000 votes in the second CA election in 2013, but it managed only around 7,000 votes in the district in the recently concluded civic polls.

“There has been lot of reform in our party organisation. We have been able to win the hearts of people. Hence, it’s our turn to win elections,” claimed NC candidate Swar.

Likewise, UML leader Krishna Prasad Jaisi also claimed that the left alliance would win elections.

NC’s former district president Pushpa Bahadur Shah and CPN-UML district secretary Yagya Bogati are in the fray in Constituency No 2 for parliamentary seat from the district.