Kathmandu, March 18:

Intellect, ethnicity and age are the main factors being touted by the three key contenders for CA polls from Constituency No 6 of Kathmandu district as their respective strengths.

NC has fielded an intellectual — Bhimsen Das Pradhan — a former president of Nepal University Teachers’ Association from the constituency.

Pradhan said the Nepali Congress has been working for the establishment of lasting peace in the country since long and was able to bring the Maoist rebels to the mainstream. Pradhan claims he has a strong backing from intellectuals. “I was involved in the past elections, and will use the experience this time around,” he said.

Maoist candidate Hitman Shakya, too, is confident of winning the election. “Ideology of my party, its policy and plans to turn Nepal into a developed nation are the reasons for which the people should vote me,” he said.

He claimed that the native Newars of the constituency would vote for him as he is fighting for the autonomous region for them and would fight for the equal distribution of resources to all parts of the Valley, as the VDCs in the Valley are like some remote parts of the country despite being adjoined with the capital city.

Shakya said the party has a very strong organisational base in the constituency and the people are aware of their (Maoists’) sacrifices for the people.

He claimed that people are unwilling to accept the NC and the UML because they had been involved in corruption in the past.

However, UML candidate Yogesh Bhattarai has his own points. He said the people of the constituency should vote for him to implement the mandate of the people’s movement, including a republican set-up, federal structure and lasting peace.

He said youths should vote for him to increase their participation in Nepali politics. “Ensuring constitutional guarantee on the basic needs of the people like education, health and employment is also my agenda for the election,” Bhattarai said.

The constituency has 56,746 voters and stretches across seven VDCs and Ward No 29, 30 and 31 of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

Thirty-six candidates including Kapur Lama of RPP, Ganga Belbase of Janamorcha Nepal, Sanak Man Maharjan of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Nepal Kumar Mishra of RPP Nepal, Krishna Hari Bhatta of CPN (United), Padam Prasad Gahatraj of CPN (ML) and Subarna Keshari Chitrakar of Nepa Rastriya Party are contesting from this constituency.

Tarai Madhesh Democratic Party has fielded Dharma Raj Shakya, while Basu Maya Tamang is fighting from the Tamsaling Nepal Rastriya Dal.