Interesting battle in the making in Siraha-1

Siraha, November 7

Nepali Congress central leader and ideologue Pradip Giri’s candidacy for the Parliament from Siraha-1 has generated a lot of buzz in the district of late.

CPN-UML central member Ganga Prasad Yadav and Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal leader and former minister Rajlal Yadav have also thrown their hats into the ring from the same constituency. While Ganga Prasad represents the left alliance between the UML and CPN-MC, Rajlal is the common candidate of the FSF-N and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal alliance.

The left alliance between the two communist parties is likely to give an edge to the UML candidate, if the results of the local elections are anything to by, FSF-N candidate will also prove a major hurdle in Giri’s way to victory.

Former minister without portfolio Rajlal had been elected from then Constituency No 2 — most of it now merged in Constituency No 1 — in the first Constituent Assembly election. He had however lost in the second CA election to UML’s Ramchandra Yadav.

Though there were talks that Rajlal would support NC candidate Giri, this didn’t materialise after the former refused to back down and risk his political career. Though Giri, at a press conference earlier, had hinted at the possibility of the FSF-N candidate withdrawing, nothing of that sort happened. Now, people predict a tough battle for Giri.

NC leader Giri had won from then Siraha Constituency No 5 in the parliamentary elections of 1994, just to lose in the next parliamentary polls. He had made it to the Constituent Assembly through the proportional representational system in 2007 and 2013. Though it’s obvious that Giri is an intellectual and will appeal to that section of voters, the UML candidate is a good organiser and the FSF-N leader is an experienced political leader. Obviously, a great electoral fight is expected.