• On Friday alone, around 55 men of Mangalsain left for India for employment

Achham, December 3

At a time when the second phase of provincial and parliamentary polls are just a few days away, male voters of the rural areas of Achham district have left for India to take up employment there. As the male voters have left, female voters in the district will decide the fate of candidates in the poll.

It is reported that men have been leaving their houses on a daily basis while the election publicity campaigns of different parties are being conducted in the district. According to a local journalist, almost half the population of voters in Mangalsain might not cast their votes in the election.

On Friday itself, around 55 men of Mangalsain left for India. Ratan Bahadur Sha, a local of Sanphebagar Municipality, said the men in the district had no option to sustain their livelihood other than going to India for jobs.

Dipa Nepali of Kuntidhunga of Mangalsain said her husband Dan Bahadur, along with other youths from the village, left for India ahead of the election. “We, the females, will cast ballots,” she added.

Bhana Nepali said the females’ role in choose the right candidates had become prominent. She complained that political parties only offered tickets to males and not females.

CPN-UML district member Pashupati Kunwar said females were mobilised for election publicity campaigns to garner votes. “Those candidates who win over women’s sentiments will win the elections,” she added.

According to the district election office, of the total 136,903 voters in Achham, as many as 72,025 are females.